


Next Generation of Shadows

by PhoenixstarKina



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Murder, Because B O I, Between Original and GX, Canon-Typical Violence (Subbed Canon), DSoD and BBT spoilers, Did someone order angst?, Dimension Travel, F/M, Gen, I think I need to add this tag in now, I'm counting both movies as canon, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Time Travel, Shadow magic, Warnings are before each chapter, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2018-10-16 00:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 151,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10560374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixstarKina/pseuds/PhoenixstarKina
Summary: (forgive the title I'm open to suggestions for a new one)6 months after the battle with Diva. 6 months after sealing the Quantum Cube in Kaiba’s impossible space station. Yugi feels more than a bit lost and restless. The grief is still raw and renewed. The Shadows are supposed to be locked to all but a few, until Yugi stumbles upon a Game by chance. Two brothers hold the Magic, their key to survival. And as he trains and raises them, the question stands; could more of the next generation hold their Magic as well?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Only thing imma say on this: GX happened 12 years after DSoD. And Kaiba’s Bad Decision never happened.  
> Get your ass out of the afterlife you idiot Ra is gonna smite you if Anubis don’t get you first. Or Persephone.  
> I wanna know why Yugi’s game is called Persephone. Hello, goddess of the Underworld? Is it secretly a Shadow Game? That would not surprise me tbh. 
> 
> WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: mentions of abuse, human trafficking, and Yugi kills a man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only thing imma say on this: GX happened 12 years after DSoD. And Kaiba’s Bad Decision never happened.  
> Get your ass out of the afterlife you idiot Ra is gonna smite you if Anubis don’t get you first. Or Persephone.  
> I wanna know why Yugi’s game is called Persephone. Hello, goddess of the Underworld? Is it secretly a Shadow Game? That would not surprise me tbh.
> 
> WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: mentions of abuse, human trafficking, and Yugi kills a man.

Walking seemed to be the only way to clear his head.

Yugi looked up at the sky. The sprinkles of cool water coming down didn’t bother him. Flashes of heat and dry weather made him grateful for the damp air. It was his favorite time to take walks, when there was just a light rain or a soft breeze on a cloudy day. It took his thoughts off the heat.

Took his thoughts off _him_. Seeing Atem again was nice, working with him in a duel again even better. Having the mental link back, if only for a moment, was the best feeling in the world. Adrenaline from fighting Diva was running high, and just being close to his other made him feel like he was soaring.

That was six months ago. Diva was back in Egypt and completely sane with Sara and Manny making sure things stayed that way. Malik promised to keep an eye out for him too. And Atem…was back in the Afterlife. The Puzzle and Ring were gone. Hidden again or destroyed, Yugi didn’t know. The other Items were scattered as well.

Everything seemed to move on. Tea still went to New York to become a dancer, she was doing well in her classes if her texts were to be believed. Tristan somehow found his way into doing security jobs, his first- and only, if his employer had any say- job was bodyguard for Duke. The two getting along just fine, so long as Serenity wasn’t around.

She was doing fine too, having transferred schools to be closer to her brother now that he was old enough to be a legal guardian for her. It took a lot of convincing, but her mother finally caved. Mokuba had a hand in it, Yugi was sure. The younger Kaiba was glad to have someone familiar in his classes.

Ryou was working at the museum. Part-time guide, part-time translator. Bakura had left more than scars on the flightier part of their shared soul, Ryou could read the hieroglyphs like they were plain English, bringing his language total to three.

He wasn’t the only one, though the second one saw the dead language as more of a curse. Hearing Seto swear in a combination of five languages was always amusing. It led to creative contracts to sign as well. Clauses written in ancient script were still binding so long as the two they pertained to could read it. And since the elder Kaiba wanted a partnership with the Game Shop- which took Yugi’s grandfather by surprise and _‘please Kaiba don’t give him a heart attack’_ \- everything was written in their shared languages.

Not to mention Kaiba had sole rights to producing Persephone once Yugi was ready to take it into beta. There was a lot to work to go before that happened however. Yugi was grateful for the space and technology to work on it, but it was slow going.

Technology was Seto’s thing, magic was Yugi’s. And getting Persephone to work without the Shadows was a snag they hadn’t fixed yet. Not that Mokuba and Joey minded.

The blond had joined Seto and Yugi at the top of the dueling ranks, winning every competition that he entered without the other two, even ending a duel with Seto in a draw. The CEO couldn’t ignore him then, and didn’t. Instead, he offered Joey a spot as a beta tester for new duel systems and games. He and Mokuba were the only two who couldn’t use Shadow Magic allowed to test Persephone.

Upgraded duel systems were a perk of the two working with Seto. The one Yugi had used ended up being a beta product. The newest one rested on his left arm, the system fit snuggly on his shoulder. It was like Seto’s, but smaller. It wasn’t meant for dueling only, but for actual combat.

They thought with the Ring gone, and most of the Shadow’s sealed away again, things would be normal. But paranoia had Seto reluctantly creating a few systems for combat. Time with him and Mokuba told Yugi just how much Seto actually _hated_ real fighting and combat. But if there was a chance of another Game happening, he didn’t want to rely on the past to save them again. Not when his own creations could channel magic and assist in summoning.

He created five systems. The blue one that never left his arm, the pink one that Yugi wore, and three more in silver, gold, and green. One for each living person left who could call upon and use the Shadows.

It was well worth it, to tell Seto just who else could use the magic, if only to see the look of horror and despair on his face. Ryou he understood. Malik was a given.

Yugi took immense pleasure in being the one to tell him the fifth was Pegasus. How else could he make the cards?

It was a bit sad, Yugi realized as he stopped underneath an awning as the rain got harder. Once, there were many people who could wield the magic the Shadows had. But that number had dwindled down just to a literal handful. The secret was easier to keep that way, he had to admit. And with one of them being the leading figure in holographic tech, it was easy to pass off any slip-ups as a test.

There were no tests though. Yugi figured it was best described as a bridge between dimensions. Their dimension; a plain, magic-fearing world. And the dimension of Duel Monsters; magic filled and mythical and full of so many reminders of fear, happiness, pain, love.

Yugi cheated sometimes. They weren’t supposed to use magic often, but he knew the others broke that rule too. It wasn’t too uncommon to see Kaiba taking a nap using a white scaled paw or flank as a pillow. Kisara- the dragon never protested the name and Seto even _put a damn collar on the dragon with that name on it_ \- seemed to prefer the large expanse of guarded land around the mansion to her own dimension nowadays. Her brother and sister were happy to travel between dimensions, never choosing a favorite.

Ryou feared the power at first, having a Dark Necrofear as a silent guard would set anyone on edge, Yugi guessed. She never did any harm though, and soon enough he grew used to summoning her, if only for company.

Malik had the hardest time. Giant scorpion-like monster sightings were becoming normal in Egypt. His magic was wild, and even with Ishizu’s assistance, he had a hard time controlling it.

Yugi smiled softly to himself as the wrist system glowed, a familiar magician materializing next to him.

“Yugi! Again? You’re going to catch a cold!” Her arms were crossed, pouting and shivering slightly at the cold weather.

“Sorry Mana.” It wasn’t Mana, not Atem’s Mana at least. But calling her Dark Magician Girl all the time was a bit much, even she agreed. And the name did fit her. “I just needed to get out for a bit. I closed the shop early.”

“Be glad it was me and not Mahaad.” Another somewhat familiar name, but a completely different Dark Magician than Atem’s best friend Mahado. “He’d take you right back there.”

“Hey, I got out of the rain when it got harder.” Yugi protested. “It was just sprinkling when I started walking.”

“He’d still take you home in that. The worrywart.”

Yugi laughed lightly, leaning closer to Mana. They had been with him the longest, yet another parallel between him and Atem that the others noticed before he did. “You’re the one who’s gonna catch a cold.”

“Well _someone_ had to check on you. You refused help today in the shop!”

That was Yugi’s cheat of the rule. Working at the Game Shop was fun, but during times when there were no customers, it could get boring. The first time he used Shadow Magic, he hadn’t realized it until Kuriboh was bouncing on his head to get attention. A second Kuriboh, one with wings, was fluttering shyly beside his Kuriboh. He welcomed the newcomer with the same warmth he always did. And soon enough he had two puffballs bouncing around.

When a customer came in, they were still bouncing on the counter. Yugi passed it off as new holoforms from Kaiba Corp, and word spread, bringing more customers.

So…he asked a few others if they wanted to come and visit. It was a learning experience for everyone. The Duel Monsters got to see how humans acted in everyday life with their own eyes, and Yugi learned just how loyal his deck was to him.

Even when he protested, most would help around the shop. Tidying up, stacking boxes in the back room, the Magic girls even did promoting for the shop. Kiwi and Berry had the most fun with that.

Gandora was the only one to miss out on that. The temperamental dragon was far too big to be summoned in the small shop. Not that he was left out however, Yugi did summon him in Kaiba Corp before. He was no bigger than Kisara, and got along well with the Blue Eyes dragons. He was just protective of Yugi, more so than even Mahaad or Silent Magician.

“There was nothing there today.” Yugi said. “Whoever came would’ve been bored out of their minds like I was.” Rainy days always led to fewer customers. It was the first day in a while that it had rained.

“But you were all alone. Isn’t grandpa on another trip?” Mana questioned.

Yugi nodded. “He is, for another week or so. Pegasus may extend that though.”

“To try and find the other Items?”

“Yeah.” Yugi looked down. It hurt, so much. Knowing the Items were there, knowing how they were made and what they meant and making the mental connection that the Items meant Atem. So Yugi volunteered to stay behind when Pegasus asked him or his grandfather to go to try and find the missing five. His job was easy, a translator and overseer. He was sensitive to magic too, being around Atem and Yugi so much.

If they were there, Solomon would find them.

“You can still call one of us so you aren’t alone!” She hugged him, out of comfort and trying to steal body warmth. Mana blinked them, as if suddenly remembering something.

She said something quickly in a language Yugi didn’t remember, and the air around them warmed to a pleasant temperature.  Seeing her version of magic always made Yugi smile more. There was so much to learn about it, and he would learn as much as they could teach him.

“I will tomorrow. Promise.”

“Tonight.” Mana said. “The twin terrors are driving Celtic up a wall. Either you’re gonna summon them or he’ll find a portal and toss them.”

“Tonight then.” He agreed. It was easier to sleep with the two Kuriboh, he had to admit. They were like cats, snuggling close to him and keeping the nightmares away.

As the rain began to let up again, Yugi decided to walk back to the shop, Mana walking with him. “I love how we can walk out here without suspicion.” She commented.

“Well, cosplayers aren’t uncommon in Domino.” Yugi shrugged. “You look like a professional.”

“Because I am.” She giggled. “Who better to cosplay me than me?”

Yugi nodded in agreement, but something made him stop walking. The air felt different. “It’s not supposed to storm…” It wasn’t the same feeling as when it was going to.

Mana felt it too. “Master,” Yugi grew more alert, she only ever called him that if there was danger near, “I can feel Shadow Magic.”

“Shadow Magic? Ryou? Seto?” He asked.

“Neither. It’s not the other two either.” Her grip on her staff tightened. “It’s new.”

 _New?_ Yugi thought. _How?_ “Impossible. The magic’s sealed.” But he could feel it too.

There was a flash down one of the alleyways, and Yugi was running to it before he knew he had even moved. Mana matching his steps.

What they found was not what Yugi expected to ever see.

It was small in comparison to Kisara and Gandora, a body of silver-colored metal curled in the alleyway. The dragon gave a mechanical hiss, staring down a bulky man.

“Cyber Dragon…” Yugi breathed out. How? That card, Pegasus had the only three! _No…he said they were missing._

One of the missing cards found its way into the alleyway, and someone had summoned it. _Out of protection? Or did that man summon it?_

Not taking chances, Yugi’s duel disk whirled to life, bringing another into the alleyway.

And not a moment too soon, the man moved forward with what Yugi thought was a knife. “Mahaad!” He called out, wanting the Dark Magician to stop the dragon.

But the dragon didn’t attack. It curled up tighter, and Yugi saw the real culprit of the summoning.

It was the man who was in the wrong. The Cyber Dragon was curled protectively around two children! It hissed, daring the man to come closer.

A loud firing sound rang in Yugi’s ears. _That’s not a knife!_ The man was pointing a gun, not at the dragon, but the kids. “Stop him!”

As soon as the order was given, Mahaad had the man slammed against the wall, a magic attack rendering the gun useless. The dragon’s hissing grew louder with the magician’s approach, but Mana was quick to try and soothe it.

“Do not worry. We won’t hurt the little ones.” She kept her movements loose, trying to seem unthreatening. “Cyber, what’s happened here?”

More mechanical hissing, Yugi wondered if it could speak like the others. He knew only a few of the dragons could. None of his dragons were capable of it, though Kisara spoke human languages as if they were ones she were raised on. Red Eyes was another capable of speech. Cyber Dragons however, Yugi knew only of their existence, and nothing more.

“Who the fuck are you freaks?” The man spat, struggling in Mahaad’s hold. “I was paid good money for this job, I’m gonna see it through!”

Yugi felt cold hearing him speak. “And what job would that be?” He moved closer to Mana, putting himself between her and Mahaad. The two of them, and the dragon, were able to hide the kids from the man’s view. “Who paid you?”

“Like I’m gonna tell some kid that.” He growled. “Maybe I should take you back there. You’d fetch a fair price.”

“You won’t be taking anyone anywhere.” Yugi walked closer, ignoring Mahaad’s worried glance. This man- no, he wasn’t a man. Yugi didn’t need to hear more, though it seemed the _creature_ wanted to spill more and dig his grave deeper.

“Want to bet brat? I’ll finish those two freaks off like I was paid for. Those “magic” dogs, wouldn’t even make good bitches when they grew up! Better off dead, and I’m willing to help them get the-“

Mahaad’s hold on his shirt, arm across his chest, was useless as the Game started. Once afraid of it, Yugi could understand Atem- no, Yami’s reasoning for inflicting such heavy Penalties in that moment. The creature was frozen against the wall and Mahaad backed away, taking position beside Mana.

“I heard from Tristan that the cops were trying to break up a trafficking ring. Seto was planning on getting involved anyway when he heard there were children involved. I’m sure he won’t be too mad about this Game.” Yugi’s eyes narrowed, the eye of Anubis appearing on his forehead.

To be facing a creature who would do anything to children like that, a Penalty Game was fitting. He had lost the Shadow Game by losing his gun to Mahaad, and the Penalty was Yugi’s to give. So many possibilities flew in his mind, each one more sinister than the last.

It was the price to pay for calling upon the darkest part of the Shadows. But Yugi was Light, a Hikari, as Bakura would snarl. He called it out like a curse, called both Ryou and Yugi that. It kept them sane from the madness of the Shadows, a blessing.

“No one will miss you.” He raised a hand, waving it away from the others, and the shadows moved in. Their victim screamed, and the dragon answered with hisses, curling tighter around it’s charges and hissing even louder to block out the screams. With a snap, everything turned quiet. Yugi hadn’t expected the screaming, he didn’t want the kids to hear that.

The kids. Yugi turned around. Mana could get no closer to the dragon, and it actually snapped at Mahaad when he tried. “Guys, back off a second.” Yugi said, walking forward slowly. “Cyber Dragon.”

The dragon focused on him, and Yugi let a little more magic out. Atem had told him, before he left….

_“Aibou, my time as Pharaoh is over. Though it may mean nothing to this world, in others, the title belongs to you.”_

Would the dragon recognize it? “I do not mean you or them any harm. We wish to help. May we?” He held out a hand to the dragon. It was still raining, and Yugi was beginning to get concerned.

He relaxed as a cool muzzle was pressed into his hand. The dragon lowered its head in submission. “Thank you. For protecting them, we can take over. You should rest.”

With a soft light, the dragon disappeared. It was then they got a good look at the two children it protected.

Mana gasped lightly. They were young, the oldest couldn’t be more than eight. The younger, less than five, Yugi guessed. “What did you do?! Why did you send Cyber away?! How?!” The oldest glared at them with open hostility and wariness.

“It’s alright.” Yugi said, bending down to be at eye level with him. “You’ll exhaust yourself if he stays here for too long. You summoned the Cyber Dragon, didn’t you?”

“It was both of them.” Mahaad commented. “Shadow Magic is coming from them both.”

The child looked from Yugi to Mahaad to Mana, pulling the younger one closer as he cried almost silently. Yugi looked back at the magicians and nodded. He could handle things with just Mana. Mahaad did look intimidating with his stance and outfit.

In the same soft light that the dragon disappeared with, the Dark Magician was gone as well. Yugi heard one of the children gasp and looked back at them. “I can summon Duel Monsters too.” He said. “You’re safe with me.”

“…Cyber called you Pharaoh.” The older said, trying to soothe his younger brother. They were cold, wet, and hungry. Yugi’s gaze softened as he looked at them.

“That’s what I am.” It was the first time he recognized the title himself.  “I’m the Pharaoh, bound to protect those of the Shadows. And that includes you two now too.”

“He’s a very kind Pharaoh, like the ones from Egypt history!” Mana smiled.

The boy looked confused at that. “Egypt?”

 _He doesn’t know world history…then again, I only knew because of Grandpa’s stories at that age._ Yugi thought. “Where are your parents?”

He seemed to withdraw, blue-gray eyes narrowing again. “Mother is….not here. And, _he_ sold us. Because we could summon Cyber and the others.”

“Others?” Yugi was angry at hearing what he said, but kept it down. Showing anger would make him withdraw more. “Other Duel Monsters?”

“Yes…” The answer was hesitant. And that was when Yugi noticed the smaller boy was holding something.

 _A deck!_ They had a stack of cards with them.

“Cyber kept bringing cards to us.”

“I get it.” Mana whispered. “Cyber Dragons keep to themselves mostly, they’re closer to other Cyber and Machine type monsters. But they’re still dragons, which means they’re insane hoarders. Kisara and her siblings hoard anything technology, Red hoards magma rocks and food, Gandora loves stuffed animals from this world.”

Yugi felt that obsession was his fault. “So this Cyber Dragon hoarded cards?”

“And these two children.” Mana said. “Cyber didn’t say your names, could you tell us please? We want to help you.”

“Who are you?” His eyes moved to Mana.

“Oh!” Yugi reached into his deck holder. Though he didn’t need the cards, it was more comforting to have them. “Here, this should clear that up.”

He held out the card of the Dark Magician Girl. The boy looked at it and nodded slowly.

“I’m Zane…and this is Syrus.”

Yugi smiled softly, putting the card away. “Zane, I want to help you two. You’re both hurt, and this weather isn’t good for you. Will you two come with me and Mana?”

Zane seemed to weigh his options. Stay in the cold alleyway, risk being found again, or go with this person Cyber called Pharaoh. It was a clear choice, though one he made hesitantly.

“Yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Parenting skills, check. Pharaoh skills, check. Planning? Yugi does not know how to do that so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter is extra long. Sorry for taking so long to get this second chapter up! I had laptop trouble, so it was in for repairs and held the only copy of this chapter hostage. Was going to have the checkup in chapter 3, but I decided to add it in here as an apology.
> 
> Thank you to Blutkatze, dsr5117, captainpixie, Saxzer, Cosmos, and 7 guests for the kudos (at the time of writing this!), thank you Waves for the comment, and thank you Blutkatze, Kudalyn, and NightSilverChelly for the bookmarks! I hope this chapter is enjoyable for you and everyone else reading it.
> 
> Also, Atem is called Atem and Yami in this fic. It just depends on how Yugi is viewing him at the time. Yami is usually reserved for times through Season 0 (which I have only the bare minimum knowledge of) and specific points in the anime where Atem is a bit on the darker side. Such as the Orichalcos duel or the duel where he almost kills Kaiba or during Shadow Games. Yugi sees him as Atem outside of those times, when he has a more level sense of thinking and seems more like a Pharaoh. They are one and the same however. I like fics where there’s both Atem and Yami, but this ain’t one of them.

It was alarming how light both boys were.

Zane didn’t give much protest to being carried. Magical drain would affect him mentally and physically. Yugi remembered how tired he sometimes felt the first year after completing the puzzle and freeing Yami. He was practically asleep in Mana’s arms, but he fought to stay alert and keep his eyes on Yugi and Syrus.

The smaller boy was light, and young. There was no way he could be more than three years old. But getting more answers out of Zane was out of the question. He was too tired. At least Syrus had stopped fussing, making it easier to carry him. He was running a fever however, and that worried Yugi.

He balanced Syrus on one hip as he unlocked the door to the shop. It would be easier to carry the boys in from that entrance. Once inside, he realized they would need more help.

But who? Zane didn’t seem to trust Mahaad, and Yugi wouldn’t force that trust to try and happen. But that narrowed down his options.

“Apple.” There was a pink flash, and she stood in front of him. “We need towels. And…”

Oh, there was the first dilemma. Clothes. “Um…two of my shirts I guess.” Better than nothing.

He moved into the living room, Mana sitting on the couch with Zane beside her. “Yugi, let us handle them. I think you should inform Seto of this.”

Yugi nodded, passing Syrus over to her as Apple returned with fluffy towels and clothes. “I charmed a warm outfit for you as well.” She smiled.

“Thank you.” Yugi retreated to his room, finding a towel and the clothes on his bed. He stripped, dried off, and changed before activating the duel disk again.

It was another feature Seto incorporated into them. A video chat system. The network for it also hooked up to prototype systems worn by Mokuba, Joey, Tristan, and Duke. It was encrypted using hieroglyphs, and each password was different.

 _Heba_ was Yugi’s password. He had rolled his eyes at that. But it was better than Joey and Tristan’s. They had picked random hieroglyphs and there was no way Yugi was going to translate for them. Mokuba had asked permission, and Yugi agreed to his password. _Atem_. The one word Mokuba knew.

“Come on Kaiba…” Yugi muttered, waiting for the call to connect.

“What is it?” The screen materialized from the disk, giving him a clear view of Seto at his desk. Peering over his shoulder was a familiar platinum blond.

Right. That was another reason for Yugi only having to work the shop that day. Pegasus and Seto were going to argue over a new contract between their corporations while Pegasus was taking a break from Item hunting. CEO talk flew right over his head, so the two learned quickly to exclude him from the talks and just give him the condensed version afterwards.

“Yugi-boy? You already have your new disk?” Pegasus looked close to pouting as he glared at Seto. “I thought they weren’t finished.”

“Argue later, right now we have a problem.” His hand came up to play with the buckle of his collar. A nervous habit that he developed while working with the older two, once Seto got tired of him shuffling his deck endlessly.

Pegasus tilted his head. “Does it have to do with that magical burst a while ago?”

Yugi nodded. “Yes. And I need a recommendation for a pediatrician.”

“You’re a bit old for one.” Seto muttered.

“It’s not for me.” Yugi walked out of his room. The display coming from his wrist became split screen as Mokuba joined the conversation. He was in the same room as his brother and Pegasus, Seto’s office Yugi guessed. But he didn’t try to look on from their screen. “And as for the magical burst, we’re not the only Shadow users here.”

“Malik’s in town?” Mokuba guessed. “Ryou called from the museum, he wondered about it too. I just thought it was you.”

“It was too weak to be Yugi.” Seto said. “And Ishtar would call before showing up.”

Pegasus’ eyes widened. “But that would mean there are others!”

Yugi stopped in the hallway, looking into the living room. Mana was drying Zane’s hair, the child looking to be half asleep. His eyes were on Syrus though, who was sitting on Apple’s lap as the magician combed through his hair carefully. “As impossible as it sounds, there’s two others.”

He turned the camera display, letting the three see into the living room. Seto sat up straighter, seeing that it was two children. Pegasus gasped, and Mokuba turned to his laptop.

“They have magic?” Seto demanded.

“They summoned one of the missing Cyber Dragons.” Yugi said.

“Explain. Now.”

Yugi sighed, leaning against the wall. “I went for a walk. Today’s…an off day.” He explained. “And when I was walking back with Mana, we both felt the magic. So we went to find the source, only to find one of the dragons- Zane called it Cyber- curled up around them and guarding them from a man with a gun.”

Something broke on Seto’s end of the call. Mokuba was typing faster on his laptop. “Zane…We don’t have any kids by that name in the database. What’s the other’s name?”

“Syrus. They’re brothers.”

Mokuba nodded. “Someone was trying to shoot them?” Pegasus asked.

“Worse. From what Zane said, their father- and I use that term _very_ loosely- sold them because they could use Shadow Magic.”

Seto’s fist hit his desk, and Pegasus’s look darkened. Yugi knew that would have a huge effect on them both, and he paled slightly when he remembered Mokuba would hear that part too. The younger didn’t seem effected by it, too busy reading whatever his screen was showing him.

“Guys, there’s _no one_ in Domino with those names.” Mokuba broke the tense silence that had begun to fall. “Unless you have a 90 year-old and 135 year-old. That’s the last records of anyone with those names being anywhere near Domino. And they weren’t brothers. Is there a last name I could check?”

Yugi shook his head. “I was lucky to get first names.”

“I’ll send Mokuba’s pediatrician over.” Seto was typing on his own keyboard. “And we’ll be over in ten minutes.”

“I’m coming with.” Pegasus said. “Is there anything you need?”

“Clothes.” Yugi said. “I’m sure they’d like something that fits. Something for ages…3 and 6, I think. Maybe.”

“Sounds about right.” Mokuba jumped up. “I can find something. We’ll stop by a shop first then.”

Seto nodded. “The doctor isn’t free for another two hours.”

“That’s fine.” Yugi sighed. “I just want them checked over. And I’ll explain everything in detail when you get here. Just… expect Zane to not trust you. It took a while for him to see that I wasn’t a threat, and he didn’t like Mahaad.”

A quick good-bye had Yugi turning off the display, sighing again. At least Seto and Pegasus would have ideas on what to do. Yugi hadn’t really planned past getting Zane and Syrus out of the cold and into safety. He peered into the living room again.

At least Apple and Mana seemed to know what to do. Mana was relaxed, letting Zane lean on her as he napped. Apple had conjured some blocks that seemed to keep Syrus happy, though she shot Yugi a worried look.

A scroll appeared in front of him, the cursive script one that he recognized.

 

_He’s really warm Yugi. I think being out in the rain gave him the start of a cold._

 

He thought so. But Yugi was helpless until the doctor got there. There was one thing he could do though, lunch. Both boys were probably hungry. Magical drain always left the user starving.

The fridge was stocked, Yugi had remembered to go shopping yesterday for something more than chips and soda. Not that he didn’t get those too, they were the best fuel for all night gaming marathons. But they wouldn’t do much good for the kids.

Yugi narrowed his eyes, weighing the options. Did they have any food allergies? Peanut butter was out of the question until he knew. Sandwiches seemed a safe option. And apple juice? Yugi had bought the juice boxes on a whim, a little rebellion from being an adult. Those were safe.

 _Wait…can three-year-olds have sandwiches?_ Yugi closed the fridge, puzzling over the question. Did he have sandwiches when he was that young? He couldn’t remember.

His duel disk whirled to life, and Yugi turned to Mahaad. “Can three-year-olds have sandwiches?”

Mahaad blinked. “I’m…sure they can? This is probably the oddest question you have asked so far.”

“Well I’m not gonna starve the kids!” Yugi got out the bread as Mahaad pulled out the sliced turkey. “Seto’s coming over too. With Mokuba and Pegasus.”

“You are going to figure out what to do with the children?”

Yugi nodded. He started putting together the sandwiches, making quite a few as Mahaad began preparing some fruit. It was a safe bet, sandwiches and fruit. If Syrus couldn’t eat any of it, there was applesauce. Maybe Mokuba could help him. “I was not prepared past getting them safe and warm.”

“I figured as much.” Mahaad chuckled. “Mana seems happy.” He snuck a glance into the living room, finding everyone just as they were before.

“She’s great with kids.” Yugi smiled. “Dunno how it works for Duel Monsters, but she’d be a great mom.”

He finished the food, thanking Mahaad for his help. The Dark Magician opted for returning to his dimension, not wanting to stress Zane out more. Yugi brought the food out to the living room, setting it on the coffee table with a few smaller plates and the juice boxes.

“So? What did Kaiba say?” Apple asked as Yugi sat down next to Mana.

“He’ll be here soon. Along with a doctor.” Syrus held his hands out to Yugi, who looked hesitant for a moment.

“Oh he’s not going to bite.” Apple giggled. “Besides, you did save him from the bad man.” She passed the child- _toddler?_ \- over to Yugi. Apple was right about the fever, but it couldn’t be too bad if Syrus still had energy to continue playing with the blocks.

Yugi reached out to grab one of the juice boxes, putting the straw in it. “Hey, Syrus, wanna try this? It’s apple juice.” He offered it to the toddler, taking the blocks in exchange. “You got him to talk?”

“Just a bit.” Apple said. “I asked simple questions, mainly yes or no ones. He’s not too talkative.”

That wasn’t surprising to Yugi. He didn’t want to make assumptions, but it was a good guess that Zane was probably the only one Syrus had to talk to, maybe even the one teaching him how to. _Was he in preschool? Was Zane in school?_ Mokuba said there was no record in Domino of anyone with their names. But that left a lot of possibilities open. They could’ve come from anywhere in Japan, or even outside of Japan. Or they were home births, with no doctor ever seeing them, or official records of them being born.

He would ask later, Yugi decided as shuffling on Mana’s other side signaled to them that Zane was awake. “Thirsty?” Yugi asked, holding out another juice box to him.

Zane took it with the same cautiousness he had since Yugi had found them. The duelist watched as Zane tried to pace himself, but managed to drink the apple juice fairly quickly. Mana offered him another as Yugi blinked in realization.

 _Joey. I should call him too._ If anyone could help, it was his best friend. He thought Zane’s actions seemed familiar. That sent a chill down his spine too.

He never met Joey’s father, but he had seen the cuts and bruises before. Whenever Joey needed an escape, he would hide out at Yugi’s. The shop was a safe haven, being so open and public. His father wouldn’t dare go there in search of him. Tristan’s was too private, and Tea had no idea of Joey’s home life.

It wasn’t terrible, Joey told him. He was better off than some kids, and having a few jobs plus school kept the abuse to what he referred to as a bare minimum. He couldn’t work or show up to school with bruised or broken bones after all. Most of it was small physical abuse, focusing more of mental and emotional. Not that it took much to get to Joey. As strong as his friend was, Yugi knew he could easily break if someone knew how to.

Yugi looked for more signs, comparing Zane to Joey for a little. There weren’t any bruises that Yugi could see, aside from ones that were fresh and probably from the alleyway. But he was very mistrusting of anyone older, and fiercely protective of Syrus.

Mana and Apple were able to be around him without much problem. Yugi guessed it was because they were girls, or Duel Monsters. Zane didn’t seem to have a problem with the Cyber Dragon.

Weight against his chest turned Yugi’s attention to Syrus. He seemed to be better than his brother. More trusting, though too light and feverish. The smaller was drinking the juice more slowly, looking at his brother.

 _Maybe there’s a mind link between them. No, that’s doubtful._ They didn’t know the full extent of the magic, but so far the only links were between the pairs that had shared bodies. Telepathy didn’t seem to be one of the things the Shadows could give them. _It’s a security thing. So no putting them in separate rooms._ That wouldn’t be a problem.

“Do you two like turkey sandwiches?” Yugi asked.

Zane shrugged, lowering his gaze. “Never had one.”

“Try it.” Apple smiled, grabbing one of them and handing it to Zane. Yugi and Mahaad had cut them into triangles. “There’s plenty.”

Mana copied her sister, holding the sandwich for Syrus. “Here little one. I’ll hold the juice for you.”

She and Yugi kept a close eye on Syrus. Sandwiches were the safest bet, Yugi smiled. He didn’t have any problems with them.

The sound of a key in the front door of the shop reminded Yugi that they were going to have visitors. “Zane, Syrus, I called a friend of mine. Seto Kaiba?” Recognition shone in Zane’s eyes and Yugi continued. “He brought his brother and Pegasus. Seto and Pegasus can use magic like we can. They wanted to talk to you. Is that ok?”

Zane looked guarded again. If he didn’t agree Yugi would go into the shop to talk to them. But a short nod made the duelist relax. He didn’t miss Zane reaching for the deck that sat beside him however.

Apple got up. “I should go check on Cyber. Mahaad said he seemed restless before I came.” She smiled at the boys. “Don’t worry, everyone Yugi said was here is very kind.”

The Magician Girl disappeared just as the door opened. It was Seto, who looked back through the door with a sharp glare. “Wait.” He said to the other two before walking in, leaving the door open.

He had Zane’s attention immediately, one small hand gripping the deck of cards tightly. Seto looked intimidating, even without the jacket. He was in a black turtle neck and slacks of the same color. A much more relaxed look, though his posture still spoke of power and business.

One thing ruined the look. Across his shoulders and neck was a smaller Kisara. The more powerful dragons had enough magic to manipulate their size, and the cat-sized Blue Eyes was purring, nuzzling Seto and rubbing against his head. Yugi stifled a laugh, it definitely made him look far less threatening. And Zane relaxed when he saw Kisara as well.

“Zane, this is Seto Kaiba. And the dragon currently acting like an affectionate kitten is Kisara, one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons.” Yugi introduced. “The others can come in.” He added to Seto.

Mokuba heard him, bringing Pegasus in with him. “Heya Yugi!” Mokuba waved, holding a shopping bag with one hand. “Doctor Yamato should be here in thirty.”

“Doctor?” Zane asked, eyeing the new two with the same wariness he had Seto.

Wariness turned to interest as something trilled behind Pegasus’ back. The Blue Eyes Toon Dragon peered out from behind his master, sticking his tongue out at Zane. Seto looked at the monster with disgust, one hand coming up to pet Kisara.

Syrus looked at both dragons, sandwich forgotten in favor of watching them. Kisara trilled to the other dragon before chirping at Mana. Mana’s hand moved quickly in the air, spelling something out in a language only the Monsters knew. The script glowed long enough for both dragons to read and nod at it.

Kisara climbed down from Seto, keeping her wings folded as she approached Zane. Yugi noticed how she stayed relaxed, even purred as she climbed onto the couch and curled up against his side. It seemed to put Zane at ease.

 _Definitely more comfortable with Duel Monsters._ Yugi observed. _Especially dragons._

The toon dragon floated in front of Syrus, mimicking the toddler’s expression of wonder almost perfectly. Yugi hesitated in letting it so close, it was one of the more nightmare-like toons. But all it did was stick its tongue out much like a dog, making Syrus laugh.

“What doctor?” Zane repeated.

“A pediatrician, a doctor for kids.” Mokuba explained, sitting on Yugi’s other side on the couch as Mana stood up. Zane moved closer to Yugi then, Kisara following him. “Yugi said you were hurt, so my doctor’s coming to check on you.”

“Yugi-boy, can we talk to you in the kitchen?” Pegasus asked. “I’m sure the boys will be fine with the dragons and Mokuba.”

“Oh, right.” Yugi nodded. He stood up, letting Syrus sit on the couch. Toon Dragon was right there, keeping the toddler from the edge. Yugi and Mana followed Pegasus and Seto into the kitchen. It was connected to the living room, so he could still see the boys and they could see him.

“Alright, explain everything.” Seto ordered.

Yugi explained about going for a walk, feeling the new magic, and finding the boys. “I couldn’t leave them there. They’re hurt and cold and probably sick.”

“And the first source of Shadow Magic outside of those of us who had interaction or connection to the Millennium Items.” Pegasus added. “That we know of.”

“All of the Items were monitored carefully.” Yugi said. “Even when they were stolen or missing, either Bakura, Shaadi, or myself and Atem knew where they were. Bakura would never let children get a hold of one of the Items. Shaadi… is questionable. And the only ones Atem and I had were our Puzzle, the Necklace, Rod, and Key. The Scales never left their resting place.”

“Bakura stole my Mllennium Eye. And that blasted Ring seemed hellbent on sticking to Ryou no matter where you hid it.” Pegasus added. “So that’s all seven.”

“The Pyramid of Light.” Seto spoke up. “It was referred to as a Millennium Item. And the Quantum Cube, Diva called it the Eighth Millennium Item.”

Yugi hummed. “No, neither of those could have caused it. I think Zane and Syrus had the magic since they were born. And while the timing could fit with Syrus, Zane’s too old for it to be caused by those two.”

“Add that to the list of worries then.” Pegasus said. “Along with this abuse you say happened.”

“I’m sure it did happen.” Mana spoke up. “I’m no expert, but the way they act makes me think it’s true.”

Yugi nodded in agreement. “I can’t say much on the subject, but I know someone who can talk to them, maybe they’ll open up to this person.”

“Joey?” Pegasus and Seto asked at the same time.

Yugi looked at them with alarm. “It’s easy to see.” Seto muttered. “I can talk to them too.”

 _Oh…I can’t believe I almost forgot…_ Seto had suffered abuse at the hands of Gozaburo Kaiba. Up until he was left with a literal window of opportunity to make sure the abuse never reached Mokuba, and shoved his adopted father out of his office window. That was a well kept secret, to everyone else, he had fallen out of the window while suffering a heart attack. Seto had tried to save him, but was too far away at the time to reach him.

“I’m sorry.” Yugi apologized softly.

“Talk about it later.” Pegasus interrupted. “There’s no need to include anyone else yet. You make it seem like you’re going to include them in your little group Yugi-boy. But nothing is set in stone.”

“If they are abused, they’ll be taken away from their father. Perhaps child services-“

“No.” Yugi protested at the same time Seto answered, “Not a chance in hell.”

Seto’s eyes narrowed. “They aren’t going into the foster system or to an orphanage.”

“Even if they didn’t have magic, I don’t trust anything having to do with the foster system.” Yugi said. “They don’t help.”

Mana leaned over to Yugi, whispering something before disappearing. His magic was becoming strained keeping her there after summoning Apple and Mahaad multiple times as well. Yugi grew pensive, taking her words into account.

“Well what do you suppose should happen? One of us adopt them?” Pegasus asked.

“They can stay with me for now.” Yugi announced. “I have the room, and a clearer schedule than both of you. You have companies to run, and Seto has Mokuba.”

“I think that makes him more qualified.” Pegasus pointed out. “You’re hardly more than kid yourself.”

“Like you aren’t? We know your birthday Pegasus, you’re not even twenty years older than we are.” Yugi countered. “Plus your entire job is an occupational hazard. Don’t you have to get back to Egypt to continue searching for the Items soon?”

“And no, Mokuba doesn’t make Seto more qualified. Mokuba’s a teenager now and Seto still has a job on top of raising him. He may be the best behaved teenager, but that’s what Grandpa always said about me too. I know how ‘well behaved’ teenagers can be.” He added. “Even without Atem’s influence, I had Joey and Tristan’s influence. Mokuba has Serenity.”

“Yugi’s right.” Seto sighed.

 _That must be painful to admit._ Yugi thought dryly.

“I couldn’t take them, though I am the most qualified. I was in their position before, except replace abusive parent with dead ones and a slight language barrier.” Seto said. “I don’t remember much, but my mother preferred Russian and German to Japanese. And since German was the common language between her and my father, that was what I learned first.”

“Maybe they have the same problem.” Yugi looked into the living room. Mokuba had helped the boys into the new clothes and they seemed at ease. Zane was lying down, using Kisara as a pillow. But his tired eyes were still locked on Syrus, who was on the floor playing with Mokuba and the toon Blue Eyes. “That could be why your database has no record of them. One of their parents was from outside of Japan, but they moved here under the radar?”

“It’s possible…” Seto brought up a command screen from his disk, typing in something. “I’ll run a worldwide scan for their names, for any child under ten.”

“When do I get my duel disk?” Pegasus almost whined. Yugi rolled his eyes. The man was like a child sometimes.

“When you find the missing Items.” Seto replied. Another screen showed up and Yugi bristled as it showed the front of the shop.

“Excuse me. I thought I said to take the cameras _down_.” He glared.

“I did. I took them down three feet lower than their original positions. And had a few more installed to cover blind spots.”

Yugi groaned. “If I find one anywhere in my room I’m filing a harassment lawsuit.”

“Wait, if Kaiba-boy has cameras everywhere, could we see the attack on the boys for ourselves?” Pegasus brought up a good point.

“Later. The doctor’s here now.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Well…you certainly have your work cut out for you here.”

Yugi was starting to get a stress headache. He stood between Doctor Yamato and a tense Cyber Dragon. This one looked a bit different from the first, confirming Pegasus’ thought that Zane had all three.

“Silver.” The name popped into his head as Kisara drew a few hieroglyphs into the air. “He’s not here to hurt Zane or Syrus. He’s a doctor, a healer.”

The Cyber Dragon snorted. Drawing a few symbols of his own in the air.

**:No one comes near the little Masters:**

“The doctor is coming near Zane and Syrus.” Yugi left no room for arguments. “You will argue with your Pharaoh on this? I will let no harm come to them. Kisara shall be here as well as Priest Set.”

**:Not to come near them.:**

**“Must come near.”** Kisara hissed. **“Doctor is like Life Point spell card. Like Healer-Monsters. Make little Masters better. Littlest is sick, both injured.”** She drew herself up, letting some of her magic release to bring her to the height of a wolfdog. **“Stand down.”**

Even in a smaller form, the Blue Eyes gave off a regal air of royalty. Loyal as Silver was to Zane and Syrus, the orders from the higher dragon combined with orders from Yugi made it back down.

The boys had not summoned him, Silver had appeared as soon as the doctor walked in, leading to a tense stand-off as he corralled the two children onto the couch and separated them from the other humans. It was an automatic response to Zane’s exhaustion, Yugi was sure. Magic was protective of its users. It was how he and Atem managed to get out of the Shadow Games alive most times, when they were in peril and close to losing, or close to death in other ways.

The doctor was an unknown factor, and so Zane’s magic reacted without him knowing. He just stood silently by the couch, Syrus hiding behind him.

“Silver. As I told Cyber, I only wish to help them.” Yugi relaxed, watching as Silver did the same. “Please.”

With a calm hiss, Silver disappeared. _I wish that would stop happening._ He hated pulling the Pharaoh card. But it worked with Cyber, he figured it would be the quickest way to gain Silver’s trust as well. _Atem, you never mentioned just how political the title would get._

“Well…that was new. I assume this falls under the gag order as well?” Yamato joked with Seto.

“Of course it does.” Kisara twisted around his legs, and he drew his hand lightly over her head.

“Alright then.” Yamato turned to Zane and Syrus. “Hello boys. My name is Doctor Yamato. It seems guard dragons are becoming a normal thing for my patients.”

Syrus smiled shyly, hiding behind Zane again after he did. Zane reacted differently, moving closer to Yugi when the duelist sat down on the couch.

“So, what am I here to do?” He directed the question at Yugi.

“A full checkup.” Yugi said. “Syrus is running a fever, and Zane’s going through magical exhaustion.”

The doctor nodded, pulling out a folder and clipboard from the large bag he brought. “Alright. Well then, let’s start with a few questions to get your files started.” He sat down in one of the chairs.

“We’ll be in the kitchen.” Seto told Yugi. “Let you and them talk to Yamato.”

Yugi nodded, bringing the boys up to sit on the couch with him. Zane leaned against him quietly as Syrus sat on his lap.

“Alright boys, can you tell me your names?”

“I’m Zane. My brother is Syrus.” Zane answered. “We don’t have last names.”

Yamato nodded. “That’s fine, we can leave it blank for now.” He knew Seto was looking for any record of the boys. “What about ages?”

“Tree.” The squeaked answer came from Syrus.

“You’re three?” Yamato smiled.

“Almost. Syrus is two, he’ll be three in a month. I’m six.” Zane explained.

 _He’s more talkative. I don’t know if it’s good or not._ Yugi knew that some people were more open the more tired they were. Maybe Zane just figured he could trust a doctor more quickly than other strangers?

“Alright. Two and six. Zane, what can you tell me about other checkups you two have had?”

“Never had one.”

“Not even when Syrus was born? Do you remember when that happened?”

Zane shook his head, looking down at his lap. Mokuba had picked out shorts for both boys in a darker color, and Yugi realized then that Zane had a few bruises on his legs. “Don’t remember, I think. Cyber said I was only two and a half.”

“Ah, so the dragons were with you then?”

“I’m…not supposed to say. No one could see them. I was making it up.”

Yamato shared a look with Yugi. The younger knew the dread in the doctor’s eyes was reflected in his own.

The questioning continued. Slowly, they were able to piece together some of the boys’ past. Zane wasn’t sure how their mother had died, just that it happened when Syrus was hardly a few months old. Zane remembered hearing his brother crying, and from the time he was three, remembered taking care of him.

Yugi had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from crying himself as he listened. What was first described didn’t seem like abuse. More like neglect, with a father who was grieving too much to take notice of anything. But the words rang in his head. _I’m not supposed to say._

Those crime dramas Tea liked may be staged, but Yugi recognized the sentence for the red flag that it was.

“Have you always lived where you did?” Yamato asked next.

“Yes.” Zane answered. The more he talked, the more Yugi and the doctor listened for an accent. Anything that could give away at least a general area as to where the boys came from. But there was none. “Until…” He became quiet again, leaning more against Yugi.

“I know what you’re saying.” Yugi soothed. “I can tell him that after the checkup.” He ran his hand through Zane’s hair comfortingly. “Thank you for telling him as much as you could.”

Yamato smiled at the interaction. “Alright. Let’s start then. First I’ll take your temperatures. Don’t worry, it’s completely pain free.” He held up the small thermometer. “I just run this over your forehead, and it tells me digitally what your temperature is.”

He did it with Zane first. “A little high, but I don’t think you need any medicine for it. I’m thinking all you’re going to need after this is good food and lots of rest.” Syrus was next, and Yamato frowned. “That’s a bit too high for my liking.”

He reached into his bag, pulling out a bottle of medicine. The reaction was immediate, Syrus shook his head, eyes wide. “No!” He protested, clinging to Yugi and hiding his face against his chest.

Yugi looked at Zane in alarm, hugging Syrus. “Zane, can you explain please?”

“Syrus doesn’t like those bottles.” He looked almost guilty. “I didn’t know it happened ‘til Cyber saved him. _He_ gave it to Sy.”

Yugi hugged Syrus tighter. His eyes shot over to the doorway of the kitchen, locking with Seto’s. The CEO gave a short nod, eyes bright with fury. Yugi felt like crying again, Zane didn’t need to explain more than that.

Even the doctor hesitated at that. He looked conflicted. ‘He needs the medicine.’ He mouthed to Yugi.

 _I know…oh Syrus._ Yugi rubbed the toddler’s back soothingly. “Syrus, it’s medicine to bring down your fever.”

“No!”

 _Ra, Atem what do I do?_ His other would know how to handle things. “Sweetie, I know you had a terrible experience with medicine. But Doctor Yamato knows what he’s doing.” He rocked Syrus gently, bringing up one hand to let Syrus grab a hold of it instead of his shirt. “He knows how much medicine you need to make you feel better. He won’t make you sick.”

Syrus was crying and Yugi began to panic. He needed the medicine, but Syrus was really scared. Zane seemed at a loss too, but for once, he looked trusting.

“You won’t drink from the bottle.” Yamato tried. It didn’t work. Syrus still clung to Yugi, hiding from the doctor.

“Sy, what if I took the medicine first?” Zane spoke up. “I got a fever too right? So medicine will help me?”

Syrus sniffed, looking at his big brother. The doctor poured out the right amount into a small medicine cup before Zane took it, downing the medicine quickly. He didn’t even flinch at the taste. “See? I’m ok, you will be too.”

Still skeptical, Syrus looked at Yamato. He was pouring more medicine into the cup, a smaller dose than what Zane took. He handed that one to Yugi, who held it up to Syrus. “I won’t force you.” Yugi promised. “But this will help you. You’re burning up, this’ll make you feel cooler.”

“It help me?”

Yugi nodded. “Yes. And you won’t be drinking the whole bottle, see?” He looked over to Yamato, who made a show of putting the bottle back in his bag for Syrus. “Will you try it?”

He eventually coaxed Syrus into taking the medicine, though he whined about the taste. Yugi and the doctor both relaxed when the cup was finally empty. “Here Syrus,” Yugi reached over to the table where the fruit still sat, grabbing a strawberry and handing it to Syrus. “To help get rid of the taste.”

The rest of the examination went swiftly after that. Yugi watched with amusement and sadness at the two boys’ wonder at the simple checkup. _This must be their first time being looked over by a doctor. Or even looked over at all._

“Well, even without taking their weight on a scale, I can tell you they’re both severely underweight.” Yamato told Yugi. “But the malnourishment, it’s been caught early enough. Now, are we looking for any oddities? Wings? Tails?”

The last part was said more for the boys. Zane looked at the doctor like he was the oddity, but Syrus giggled.

“Bruises.” Yugi said. “And infection, the alleyway wasn’t exactly the cleanest place in Domino.”

“Right then. Syrus? You can be first this time.”

There was light bruising on his arms and legs, still sore if the way he fussed when Yamato touched them was anything to go by. Another strawberry was distraction enough for the doctor to be able to check his back and stomach.

“He has scaring here.” Yamato muttered, running a finger over a scar on Syrus’ stomach. “Old, I’d say as old as he is. Well that will explain one mystery.”

“How?” Yugi asked.

“It’s more than likely whoever cut his umbilical cord did this.” Yamato explained. “And no doctor anywhere would be that careless with a baby.”

 _Which means we won’t find hospital records of his birth._ Yugi nodded slowly. He hoped Seto’s scan of worldwide records would give them at least something.

Zane was looked over next as Yugi helped Syrus get his shirt back on. The bruises on his legs were from the alleyway, trying to run away and keep Syrus safe at the same time meant he had become careless with keeping himself from getting hurt. There were small burns on his hand, ones that Yugi recognized.

“Summoning burns.” He told Yamato, showing the doctor his own hand. “It happens sometimes if you don’t control how much magic you’re pouring into the cards.”

The doctor nodded, putting a little dab of a burn salve onto the burns for Zane. “Well, your arms and legs are going to be sore from the bruises. Nothing that Tylenol can’t fix.”

It was his back that had Yugi gasping in shock before he could stop it. A large bruise had blossomed over most of it. His ribs were a distinct shape, Yugi knew that wasn’t good. The bruise was on his left side as well. _That’s why he’s always sitting on someone’s left, so he doesn’t lean on them._ Yugi realized.

“I need x-rays.” Yamato wrote something down in the file. “You can put your shirt back on Zane.”

Yugi helped him, noticing Zane glaring at the ground. _He’s so independent…someone finding out, and needing help, he’s not used to it._

“I’ll need to take some blood to do some tests, a full range of testing.” Yamato said. “And I can do allergy testing once I get the kit from the hospital.”

“Alright.” Yugi nodded.

Taking blood was easier than giving medicine. Zane hardly moved when the needle was pressed into his arm. Syrus whimpered at the pain, but stayed still as well.

“They’ll need full vaccinations, that’s not going to be fun for anyone.” Yamato admitted. “But for now, we’re done.” He smiled. “You two did amazing. Better than Mokuba, he hates blood work. Actually stabbed _me_ with the needle once in protest.”

“I do have some recommendations for you two. Rest, food, and warmth. Are you staying here?”

Yugi answered for them. “Yes. Let me get them settled then I’ll come back to talk.”

They could stay in his room for now. Zane was back to looking tired, leaning more on Yugi now that everything was over, and Syrus was yawning. Yugi got Zane to his feet before standing and carrying Syrus. He walked them upstairs to his room.

“You two can sleep here for tonight.” He said.

“Do we have to leave tomorrow?” Zane asked softly.

Yugi set the tired Syrus down on his bed, watching as the three year old curled up in the middle of it. He then crouched down to be eye level with Zane. “Right now, the answer is no. Even if you do, there’s no way you’re going out on the street or back to the people that hurt you. You’ll stay with me, or Seto or Pegasus. And you’ll stay together.” He promised.

There was no way he would let anyone separate them.

“We can talk about it tomorrow. You need to rest.” Yugi said.

His duel disk was brought online again, and on the bed sat the two Kuriboh. His Kuriboh immediately snuggled up to Syrus, the toddler’s arms wrapping around the furry monster like it was a stuffed animal. The Winged Kuriboh sat there, chirping at Zane.

“They’ll stay with you.” Yugi explained, helping Zane onto the bed and covering the two boys with a blanket. “Nothing bad will happen here.”

He waited until they were asleep before walking to the door, pausing to turn off the light. Once the door was shut, he gave a shuddering sigh.

_Atem…For once, I’m glad you aren’t here. You wouldn’t even give me a chance to get at whoever hurt them so badly. But at the same time…you would know what to do._

Yugi felt lost. One thought stood out in his mind though.

_They’re staying here with me. I’ll explain to Grandpa when he gets back._

He had to talk to the others first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna refer to Dark Magician Girl and the B.L.A.C.K Magician Girls as sisters. (For those who haven’t seen all the DSoD cards, Yugi has three other Magician girls with DMG, Apple, and Lemon. There’s Kiwi, Berry, and Chocolate. I only found that out after looking up the official card list.)
> 
> Yamato was just the first name to pop into my head. He’ll show up again periodically but does not have any major role aside from being the family pediatrician. (and that there was my first time spelling pediatrician right without spellcheck. Yay, I’m learning!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tense conversations, legal matters that go right over Yugi’s head figuratively and literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know nothing of the legal side of adoption/fostering when it comes to human children. I’m an animal foster, which requires basically saying “hey I’m gonna foster this one” and okaying it with the shelter boss. I know it’s not that easy with children. Seto practically owns Domino though, so I doubt even if the legal stuff was wrong, anyone would argue. It’s a sad, fucked up, fact. And at least that much power is in the hands of someone who is somewhat rational.

The kitchen seemed crowded with four other people there. Seto was leaning against the counter, looking at the screen from his disk. Pegasus, Mokuba, and Yamato were seated at the table. The doctor was writing more to put in the folder he had on Zane and Syrus. Mokuba was typing away on a laptop, and Pegasus was looking at the screen as he did.

“The boys are asleep.” Yugi said, walking in and sitting in the free chair. He wiped at his eyes, knowing that they were damp with tears. “Sorry,” he apologized, “I didn’t think I’d cry over this.”

“It’s understandable.” Yamato said. “I am a professional and know how to keep my emotions in a tight box, but what I’ve found has me seething and feeling very satisfied that it’s Mr. Kaiba who is handling things. Because I know justice and karma shall work their own magic.”

“What did you find?” Seto asked.

Yamato opened the folder, spreading the documents he had out on the table. Mokuba closed his laptop, moving it to his lap to give them more room. It was only seven papers so far, each looking professional. “Well, first we have Syrus. A few months from being three according to Zane. Without weighing him but going by looks…normal toddlers his age are around twenty-nine pounds, I’d say Syrus is twenty-three. And well under three feet tall.”

Seto’s fist clenched around the juice box Mokuba talked him into having. He hadn’t eaten lunch that day and it showed in his shaking hands. Now though, they were steady and focused on destroying the juice box. Yugi closed his eyes. That was far too light… “His height is fine, he’s taller than I was at his age.”

The doctor nodded. “Initial look over showed that he does have bruising on his arms and legs, it’s all recent and probably from whatever happened to them prior to you finding them.” He said to Yugi. “There’s scaring on his stomach that is as old as he is.”

“Home birth then.” Pegasus said. “Someone who was not a professional cut the umbilical cord?”

“That is my thought on it, yes.” Yamato nodded. “Which probably means you won’t find medical records on these boys.”

“I’m still looking.” Seto said. “They aren’t from the United States, Canada, or the UK. I’m checking India and China now, and that will take a while.”

“What are you searching for exactly?”

“Medical records, legal documents, pictures or video of anyone matching their description.” Seto said. “I’m looking outside of Japan, and if this check doesn’t bring up anything-“

“Russia.” Yugi said. “There’s something familiar about them.” He looked at Seto and Mokuba. “It’s subtle but, facial features.”

Seto paused, bringing his disk back up and switching the scans. “Give it ten minutes.” He nodded to the doctor again.

“Syrus also has a fear of medicine bottles.” Yamato frowned. “And that alone…if he was found by anyone else well, I would’ve called the cops.”

The others look to Yugi confusedly. “Zane said something that no one wanted to hear. Syrus doesn’t like medicine bottles, Zane didn’t know what was going on until Cyber saved Syrus. That their father gave it to him.” He grimaced at the word ‘father’.

Mokuba’s eyes widened in horror. “He didn’t mean…”

“Syrus was _poisoned_.” Pegasus said.

“Overdosed.” Seto corrected with a growl that sounded more dragon-like than human. “That bastard.”

“My guess is that lack of formula led to this ‘father’ grabbing whatever he could find to try and get Syrus to stop crying.” Yamato spoke softly. “I’ve heard of it happening before, but usually tied to post-partum cases. I’m just amazed he _survived_ it.”

“Cyber saved him.” Yugi repeated. “My guess is one of the spell cards the dragon’s hoarded. With enough magic and the right card, you can save someone on the brink of death from just about anything. Cyber probably provided the card and magic boost.”

“Never in all my years of medical school did I prepare for an explanation like that.” Yamato muttered. “Dragons and magic. Guess this is what my mentor meant by learning on the job.”

“Like those kids haven’t been through enough without that happening.” Pegasus muttered. “I’m no saint, but to do that…”

Yamato cleared his throat. “Yes, well I sent the bloodwork with one of your security guards-“

“Wait security?” Yugi looked at Seto.

“The building is being watched, yes, can we continue?” Seto asked.

Yugi glared at him but said nothing.

The doctor looked at the two before continuing. “We’ll see if there’s any lasting damage, but I can tell just from taking blood that both are anemic. Zane more than Syrus. Everything else though, reflexes, eye movement, hearing, senses, those seem to be working just fine.”

“I did notice an abnormality with his voice however. Not really my field of work, but speech therapy may be needed within the next few years.” He concluded. “And if at all possible, I’d like to see him walk too. I could identify any problems with his equilibrium and legs then.”

“Give them time to rest first.” Yugi told him.

“Of course.” Yamato nodded. “Now, Zane. According to him he is five years old, and he told me that the dragon told him there was a two-and-a-half-year age gap between him and Syrus. His height is fine, but weight…average is around forty, forty-five pounds. If I had to guess, thirty-two to thirty-five.”

Worse than Syrus. Yugi’s eyes drifted worriedly to the stairwell. They would be ok with the Kuribohs. The sudden appearance of a plate of fruit in front of him made Yugi look at Seto.

“You’re shaking, and I know you didn’t eat anything today, you’re as bad as me.” Seto glared at him until Yugi picked up one of the melon pieces and ate it.

“He has burns on his hands, but Yugi informed me those were magically induced. As was the exhaustion. His reflexes are fine, everything was fine. Except for the large bruising on his back on side.” Yamato didn’t give the others to comment before continuing. “There is the possibility of broken or damaged ribs and damage to his spinal column. I need to get x-rays to get a good look.”

“He’s going to feel very sore from everything, but I’m hesitant to prescribe anything more than vitamins for both boys. Regular pain medication should do the trick, but I recommend infant medication for Syrus. Children’s Tylenol for Zane.”

“Just write the scripts and we’ll get everything.” Seto said.

“There is one issue however.” Yamato gathered the papers, putting them back in the folder. “As this is an abuse case, some form of authority must be notified. Especially since there was an attempted homicide of, presumably, an infant. They’ll want to bring in child services-“

“No.”

“-which I know Mr. Kaiba is against. And from the protests, so is everyone else here.” The doctor looked around the room. “There is a loophole. One being Mr. Kaiba’s own personal security that doubles as a police force. They can be informed and keep this off legal books.”

“Another is all of this magic. You four seem to know everything about it. I can write it off as a rare illness that you three have expert medical knowledge on, which means one or more of you has just become a foster parent.”

“Me.” Yugi spoke up. “Pegasus and Seto have enough to do, including tracking down their father.”

“Alright, I just need it in writing.”

A beeping from Seto’s wrist had everything stopping. “…we have a match.” He muttered, eyes darting across the screen that shone from his disk. “Russia, a remote location in the southeast. There’s camera footage of two people with a child and baby matching Zane and Syrus at an airport.”

“Cross-reference…shows one person, with the same children, at the airport in Tokyo.” Seto looked up. “No sign of the second person.”

“Well, this just became a job for that ‘police force’ of yours.” Pegasus muttered. “If they’re qualified for an international case.”

Yugi sat back in his chair, looking at the plate of fruit in his hands. There was so much happening. The boys had been through so much. His magic hummed.

He never thought he would fully understand why Yami performed so many Shadow Games, gave so many Penalties. Was this the world that Yami had seen? That he tried to keep Yugi from? Except for the boys, there was no Yami. They only had each other, magic, and Duel Monsters. That was probably the first time they had managed to summon the Cyber Dragon fully into the world.

Even when saving Syrus, the Cyber Dragon probably only had light manipulation of the barrier between worlds. It probably coached Zane through everything.

Yugi felt the tears coming back. They were so young, yet Zane seemed to be the only one taking care of Syrus. Not only that, they had no clue about their magic, only that it was probably the only thing keeping them alive. They were the same boat as everyone else, trying to figure things out.

They were so vulnerable. Zane was so mistrusting, wary of everything. Syrus was ready to cling to anyone who paid him any attention. They needed help, they needed protecting. They needed…

“I’m adopting them.”

The talking stopped as all eyes fell on Yugi. He looked back at them, and repeated his words. “I’m adopting Zane and Syrus. Not just fostering them.”

“Oh yes, because children are exactly what you need.” Pegasus looked at him with an unreadable expression. “You, in love with a dead Pharaoh from three thousand years ago. Who is still grieving over him.”

“I can take care of them!” Yugi snapped. “You’ve tried to _kill_ children before. Or should we remind everyone of your little soul collection from Duelist Kingdom? I have the time. I’m financially stable. I know more about this magic through Atem’s memories that are still in my head!”

“You’re nineteen.”

“ _You’re_ thirty-two and already gray! I’m young, yes, but that works in the boys’ favor! There’s no way in hell Zane’s going to trust anyone older, he doesn’t even trust you!” Why was Pegasus fighting him now? He seemed to agree that Yugi would be best for temporary custody before.

“You’re basing things on legality. This falls outside of that!” Yugi glared. “They can use Shadow Magic. The first people who we know of that can use it that have no connection to ancient Egypt or the Items. When Atem came back the second time he named _me_ Pharaoh. And while that means shit on Earth, it means _everything_ with magic and other realms. They are my responsibility no matter what and I’ll be dammed if I _ever_ let anything harm them ever again!”

“They are barely children! They deserve a chance at normalcy while also learning about what the magic means for them. I can give them that normalcy.”

No one spoke. Mokuba was staring at Yugi with wide eyes, Seto had his eyes closed, looking much like he was suffering from a headache. Yamato was looking back and forth from Yugi to Pegasus. And Pegasus…

The Industrial Illusions owner smiled, clapping his hands together. “Well then. I see no problem.”

“… _What_?”

The snap of magic sent Pegasus to the floor. “Yugi-boy I was just testing you! Kaiba-boy and I do talk you know, and you happen to be a common subject. You haven’t been acting yourself. And let’s face it you can throw rationality out the window fairly quickly in some situations.”

“The rational thing to do with you right now is send you to the Shadow Realm.”

“You’re willing to fight for these boys. _That_ is what I was looking for. That’s what the old you would do. Not this ghost Kaiba tells me is haunting Domino.”

Yugi blinked. Had he…really been like that? Sure, he didn’t play as many games, threw himself into working at the shop and on Persephone, didn’t hang out with the others as much-

_Oh._

Realization dawned on him. He _had_ been acting…much like a ghost. Going through the motions every day, only ever really talking to his deck. “Oh…”

“Yes. ‘Oh’. And if you’re going to be adopting those two wonderful boys, you can’t be doing that. You will be in charge of raising them in a far better place then they started out in.” Pegasus explained gently. “You’ll be in charge of letting Syrus’ early memories be nothing more. In charge of helping Zane see that this world isn’t just pain and suffering.”

“Making sure that he doesn’t end up like me.” Seto added.

Pegasus looked over at the other CEO. “Well I don’t know about that. You turned out right, eventually. Mokuba is the more stable one by far. But who taught him that stability?”

“Motivational parenting could wait until after everything is set in stone?” Yamato suggested. “When Mr. Kaiba called me, I _did_ happen to grab the right papers for an adoption before leaving my office.”

“Doctors have those?” Mokuba asked.

“Not normally. Doctors on Kaiba Corps payroll have semi-unrestricted access to legal documents however.”

Signing everything was a blur. Too much legal talk and legal writing, Yugi could hardly keep up. He just signed where they told him to, put initials there, date here, contract the rest of his soul away, promise a kidney to an old man. He was feeling tired himself after everything that happened.

At least the boys were still asleep, as far as everyone knew. There weren’t any sounds coming from upstairs, or panicked fluffballs bouncing around wildly.

“The bloodwork should be done by tomorrow.” Yamato told him. “Bring them in next week for x-rays and a follow up, and here are the prescriptions to be filled.”

Yugi took them. He would put them in a safe spot until tomorrow. “Yugi, you know what this means?” Mokuba was grinning, that didn’t seem good.

“You’re an uncle who needs to set a good example for Zane and Syrus?” Yugi guessed.

“Besides that.” Mokuba waved his hand. “Shopping needs to be done!”

“You are the only boy your age who would get excited about shopping.”

“It means you gotta take someone with you to help. And I’m coming with you tomorrow. To the mall to get stuff for Zane and Syrus.”

Yugi looked at Seto. “I’m supposed to babysit tomorrow, aren’t I?”

Seto nodded. “Important conference in Hong Kong. Mokuba’s too young to attend.”

Yugi sighed. “Right. Okay. I’ll probably get Joey to help as well.”

As soon as everyone left, Yugi fell onto the couch, covering his eyes with one arm. What had just happened was beginning to set in.

He went for a walk, saved two children from a man trying to kill them, brought them home, and adopted them. He was, for all intents and purposes, a father.

 _I bet that’s something the others never expected._ Here they thought Tristan or Duke would be the first to become a father. Yugi had them beat.

 _Well. It’s done now. And I don’t regret it._ He looked at his phone, which lay on the coffee table, the exact same spot where it sat before he went for his walk. _Call Joey now? Or wait._ Yugi grabbed his phone, checking the time. _Wait. He’s at work._

The teen was exhausted, but his mind was racing. _I have to do something to calm down…think of what needs to happen tomorrow._ That would give him focus.

_Alright. The room across from mine is a spare bedroom. We can move things out of there and into the basement. Then get two beds, one with railing? Probably. And mattresses. Bed spreads, pillows, pillow cases._

It helped to envision a room and fill it slowly as he went. _They’re getting clothes, so hangers, two dressers. Toys are a must, so something to put the toys in. Play mats too._

_Books. Zane was never in school, but I can get him caught up. Hopefully. And get Syrus started. So a bookshelf too._

_Towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, bubbles? Bubbles. Oh, a deck holder for Zane. They’re just carrying the cards now._ And sleeping with them. Syrus was holding the cards last Yugi saw. _Syrus is a bit young for one._

 _Food. Syrus seemed happy with the strawberries and neither complained about the turkey._ He would avoid foods that were common for allergies. _Zane’s old enough to start losing baby teeth, so some softer foods too. Would Syrus still be getting teeth in?_

 _Parenting books for me._ Yugi decided. _So I can be sure about this stuff._

He groaned, staring at the ceiling. It would be hard work, he knew that. _Grandpa raised me on his own. And I’m not really on my own. Seto’s good at hiding it, but he wants to help. And as soon as Joey sees them…_ His best friend would probably try to move in then to help. _He has Serenity now though._ Knowing her, she’d move in too. She and Joey were a lot alike. _Maybe Grandpa and I should look into adding onto the house…_

He could do it. Adopting may have been a split second decision, but he stood firm on it. He would raise them, no matter what challenges arose.

There was one challenge that was useless to resist. Sleep. He was sure the boys would be fine. _Besides…no one will challenge the guardian dragon on the roof._ Gandora seemed to have snuck out around the same time the two Kuriboh had. He was silent, still with his wings spread much like a gargoyle.

Yugi fell asleep, feeling that things were secure for the moment. He would deal with everything tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also Pegasus acting almost like a father figure. These boys need one of those. Grandpa’s the best role model, but he’s a grandpa. Let someone younger parent the boys now. And give Pegasus some redemption.  
> NOTE: I live in the States. Things are going to be in pounds and inches and Fahrenheit. I’m pants at math.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS. This is a part that made me smile when I was thinking it up. This entire story was thought up a few weeks before I started putting it into words. And this chapter. There is cute. There is a little sad. And then there’s Joey. Firstly, there’s Joey.
> 
> Most importantly, there is plot. While adoption is the main plot of this first part, another one will begin to show its face. Actually, it already has shown up in the first chapter. I’ve been working on this, mulling it over, and it’s a blend of two of plots that I’ve been wanting to do. But fusing them together seemed the best course of action.
> 
> I don’t truly have a plan to take this one up through GX. If I do, there will be MAJOR changes to GX. The base plot would be the same, as well as most things. But there would be major changes that I can’t say without spoiling this story.

Kuriboh didn’t make the best alarm clock.

Yugi groaned, sitting up on the couch as Kuriboh bounced in front of him.

“Young Master.”

“What have I said about that Mahaad?” Yugi opened his eyes, very unwilling to be awake at whatever hour it was. At least the Dark Magician wasn’t draining his magic to be there. He was strong enough to use his own. Gandora had disappeared sometime during the night. _Guess it was a changing of the guards…_

Mahaad was standing there in an outfit that surprised Yugi. “You’re in normal clothes.” He commented. ‘Normal clothes’ being a white buttoned shirt and darker slacks.

“Yes. I figured these were less threatening than magician’s robes.” Mahaad said. “And it’s almost nine in the morning. I assumed you wanted to be awake before the children and before Mokuba came over.”

“He’s not coming ‘til eleven.” Yugi yawned. The magician had a point, he did want to be up before Zane and Syrus. _It wasn’t a dream. I really did adopt them._ He smiled softly.

“Well this will give you time for breakfast.” Mahaad handed him a plate. On it were pancakes, eggs, and sausage.

“Thanks dad.” Yugi teased. “Maybe you should look into parenting with Mana.”

“We already parent you, and you are more than a handful at times.”

“You don’t parent, you worry and act like I can’t take care of myself.”

It had been that way since the first time Yugi managed to call him into his dimension with his own magic. His most loyal monster and guardian had looked proud, still looked proud. All the while acting as if Yugi was a prince.

Pharaoh or not, he always saw every monster in his deck as a friend, not a servant. But trying to get any of them to stop the serving behavior was like pulling teeth. He eventually gave up. No one was doing it against their will. They heard his protests and knew he wouldn’t complain or punish them if it stopped. If helping made them happy, who was he to forbid it?

“Are the boys awake?” Yugi looked at Kuriboh as he hurried to eat. He wanted to check on them, and Mahaad did know how to make amazing pancakes.

Kuriboh’s whole body shook with a ‘no’.

“I looked in on them.” Mahaad admitted. “Zane was fast asleep, Syrus seemed to be just falling back to sleep. That was a few hours ago however.”

“They’ll be hungry. Are there any strawberries left? Syrus seemed to like them a lot.” Yugi finished breakfast, taking the plate into the kitchen to wash it. Mahaad and Kuriboh followed him.

“There are some left. As well as pancakes. Those should be light enough for them.” Mahaad said. “You shouldn’t let them over eat, it may make them sick.”

“How much do you know?” Yugi asked. “About Zane and Syrus.”

“I was able to catch the doctor giving his report, and the bit about Russia.” Mahaad told him. “Silent Magician is checking the relative area as best she can to assist.”

“For what?” Seto had found what they needed. They just had to identify the man in the cameras.

“Magical residue. They were born with the magic, so there should be a trace of it somewhere.” He hesitated before continuing. “And with Time Wizard, she is looking into finding out what happened to their mother.”

Yugi set the plate down in the sink with the sponge he had been using to clean it. Seto did say that only one person came off the plane with the boys, though two were spotted at the airport in Russia. “Maybe she was on another plane?” He reasoned. “Or it was a custody fight that didn’t go in her favor?” That one was weak.

“Perhaps. But the fact stands that they are magical. They are tied to my realm and live in yours. And, with the adoption, they are your sons.”

 _Sons._ It made things even more real.

“So they will be treated as such. If we can assist in finding out what happened to their mother, or anything about their history, or helping them to become healthy, we will help.” Mahaad smiled. “Even if it’s just helping you adjust to parenthood.”

Yugi flashed a grateful look at his loyal friend. Of course he wasn’t going to be alone in raising them. Not with friends in both realms.

“Mana is tracking down Chrome, the missing Cyber Dragon. You’ve met Cyber and Silver.” Mahaad added. “She and Kisara are going to fill them in on everything, explain it in terms they will understand.”

“Is the language and cultural barrier that huge?”

“Not entirely. It’s complicated.”

Yugi nodded. “Alright.” He checked the time again. “Well, I should go see if they want to wake up. Today’s going to be busy.”

 

* * *

 

The scene in his room was too cute for Yugi to not take a picture.

Syrus was hugging Winged Kuriboh, laying in the middle of the bed. Both were fast asleep.

Zane was closest to the wall, his back against Syrus’. His head was on the pillow, and he looked completely peaceful.

 _Probably the first good sleep he’s gotten in a while._ Yugi thought. He was reluctant to wake them.

He didn’t have to. Syrus blinked up at him soon after Yugi took the picture. “Hungry.” His voice was an adorable squeak again.

The squeak was enough to wake Zane up too. He looked around confusedly for a moment, not remembering quite where he was. His eyes landed on Yugi. “What time is it?”

“Just a little past nine. It’s early.” Yugi replied. “But breakfast is ready. Pancakes.”

“Stra’beri?” Syrus asked.

Yugi nodded. “And strawberries.”

They made their way downstairs. Mahaad had disappeared, leaving Kuriboh bouncing on the table. Zane sat at the table as Yugi carried Syrus around. Mahaad had made up two plates, each with cut up pancakes and strawberries on them. “Would you like syrup, Zane?” Yugi asked.

“Syrup?”

“Here, I’ll let you try it first.” He brought the plates and the syrup bottle over, putting a small drop of it onto one of the pieces of pancake on Zane’s plate.

He ate it quietly, eyes narrowed in thought. _He’s never had syrup. Probably never had pancakes. Maybe telling Joey should wait until I let him try more foods. Joey would probably have him try too much at once._

“It’s sweet.” Zane said softly.

“Want more?” Zane nodded quickly. Yugi put a little on the pancakes. _He needs the sugar and calories, but too much could make him sick._

He wouldn’t give any to Syrus. It would get too messy and the strawberries had enough natural sugar in them. Yugi sat down across the table from Zane to help Syrus with his.

“Zane, there’s something I need to tell you and Syrus.” Yugi looked up as Syrus began eating the strawberries on his own. Zane stopped eating to give Yugi his attention. His plate was half empty. _I’ll have to teach him to pace himself. He thinks it could be his last meal though…_

He really wanted to hurt that man now. But he had to focus. “The doctor talked to Seto and I yesterday after you and Syrus fell asleep. And we decided on something. You and Syrus don’t have to leave here. I’ve adopted you.”

“What does that mean?” Zane asked.

“Well, it means you’re staying with me.” Yugi said. “I’m your legal guardian, your parent. You’re not going back to anyone.”

“We’re…staying away from _him_?”

“I won’t let him anywhere near you. Or anyone else who wants to harm you and Syrus. You’re staying here, where you’re safe.”

Zane looked down at his plate. Yugi would give him time to think it over. “Would you like to talk to Cyber about it later? I could summon him here.”

The boy flinched. “Not supposed to.”

“Zane, I don’t mind. You’ve seen it, I can do magic too.” Yugi said gently. “You’re free to use magic here. If Cyber helps you feel comfortable, I won’t ban him from the house.”

“It would be hypocritical- wrong- of me to. When I have these bouncing balls of fluff popping up whenever they want to.” He gestured to the Kuriboh, who were watching the boys with curious eyes. “The rest of my deck does that too.”

Zane’s eyes widened at the mention of a deck. “My deck! Where is it?”

Winged Kuriboh chirped, holding the cards carefully. “I think he was just making sure none of the cards got lost.” Yugi said. “Don’t worry, mischievous as they seem, they won’t harm anything. Finish eating, but not too quickly, you don’t want to make yourself sick.”

He did slow down with eating, but Zane was still finished before Syrus. Yugi chuckled, seeing the toddler go for another strawberry, but being surprised when there were no more on his plate. “We can get more strawberries at the store.” Yugi told him. “Let’s get you two cleaned up and into different clothes.”

With the boys cleaned and dressed, Yugi was surprised when there was a knock at the door. Zane was immediately on edge, hiding Syrus behind him. “It’s alright. It’s probably one of my friends.” Mokuba was early, if it was him.

Yugi took on some of Zane’s cautiousness however. Most of his friends had keys to the house- Grandpa was tired of waking up at three in the morning to let them in- and even Mokuba would usually call if he forgot his key.

“Joey?” Yugi opened the door. “When do you ever knock?”

“When I get a text from Kaiba tellin’ me if I scare you he’ll hide my body in the trench that Leviathan crawled out of.” Joey frowned. “Why would me comin’ over scare you?”

“Oh that bastard.” Yugi muttered. “It’s not me you’d scare. I meant to call you. But when I had the chance, it was late and I knew you’d be working but-“

“Does it have to do with the kids on the couch?” Joey looked past Yugi, tilting his head. His posture grew more relaxed as he looked them over. “So that’s what he meant by scaring.”

“I’ll explain.” Yugi said. “Come in.”

Joey stayed next to the door as Yugi walked further into the room, keeping himself between the boys and Joey. “Zane, Syrus, this is Joey. My best friend. He knows about the magic, he’s safe.”

Joey waved, keeping his posture relaxed and nonthreatening. “If by magic, Yug’ means the dragon who has replaced my alarm clock, yeah I know _lots_ about that.”

Zane seemed to relax at that. _Note. Zane responds well to dragon talk. He really is a mini Seto._ Yugi thought amusedly.

“Joey, this is Zane, and the little one is Syrus. They’re…my sons.”

It took five seconds before the outburst happened. “ _What_?!”

 

* * *

 

 “And if he comes to hide you with Leviathan you deserve it.”

Yugi had rushed Joey into the kitchen as soon as he yelled. Thankfully, the appearance of Mana kept the boys from summoning Cyber or Silver. “You noticed it when you first saw them what the hell made you think _yelling_ was a good idea?”

“Sorry Yugi but maybe if you don’t want the shocked yell you should explain things _before_ introducing _your sons_.” Joey retorted.

“Well I adopted them. How else do I introduce them?”

“You explain. Would it be so hard to say ‘hey I found two abused kids, so I adopted them’?”

“Two abused children who can use Shadow Magic.”

“’Hey I found-‘ wait what?” Joey stopped. “Shadow- but you said-“

“I know what I said.” Yugi said. “I know what Atem said. And I also know that if Mana hadn’t showed up, you would have been facing a very angry Cyber Dragon. Summoned by Zane and Syrus.”

“Without a duel disk? No hologram?”

Yugi nodded. “I don’t have much time to explain. I’m babysitting Mokuba today and we’re taking the boys shopping. But if you come with, I can explain over lunch. We need your help anyway. I’m a little out of my element with young abuse victims and I need the muscle to help arrange stuff in the spare bedroom across from mine.”

Joey chuckled. “Of course you need me for manual labor.” He teased. “Alright. I’ll come with ya.”

“You’re taking this surprisingly well now.”

The blond shrugged. “Yug’ with everything that’s happened the past few years, this is by far the _tamest_ thing you’ve done. Adopting kids? Well, we all expected it really. Just not this soon. At least it’s not something that is threatening the entire world.”

 _We are spoiled for simple human things, aren’t we?_ Yugi thought.

Checking on the kids again, Yugi took time to explain everything to Joey.

“I couldn’t let them go to foster care or an orphanage. They’d be separated and with the magic and…they’re just so young.”

He wanted to cry again. Joey pulled him in for a tight hug.

“I get it Yugi. You don’t gotta explain yourself to me. I think you did the right thing here.” Joey smiled. “Now, let me get to know my nephews before you and Mokie drag them all over the mall.”

Yugi smiled. “I can do that.” He led Joey back out, seeing the boys much more relaxed.

“I told them who Joey was.” Mana said. “It seems Zane keeps up with dueling pretty well.”

“You have Red Eyes.” Zane said to Joey.

Joey grinned, getting out his deck and pulling out the card. “Yep! Me ‘n Red go way back. He’s gotten me out of some tight situations.”

Zane nodded, not reacting to Joey sitting in the chair near the couch.

“Duelin’ ain’t the only thing we got in common Zane.” Joey told him. “My dad ain’t the greatest either.” He held up his arm, showing off a deep scar near his wrist. “My mom kept my sister away from him, thankfully.”

Yugi smiled as he saw the trust in Zane’s eyes. Of course there wouldn’t be any problems between them, he should have known better than to worry. Joey went into some dueling story and had Zane and Syrus hanging on every word. Mokuba came in during the middle of the story, but stayed quiet and let Joey finish.

“I won of course. And it was my first time getting first place in a tournament!” Joey grinned. “Heart of the Cards didn’t fail me!”

“It failed when Seto wiped the floor with you a few days later.” Mokuba pointed out.

“Yeah, well that’s because I was tired after winnin’.”

Yugi laughed. “Sure Joey. Alright, we’re all here. Let’s get going.”

They could do a little shopping before lunch. Roland was waiting outside with a limo, and the boys eyes grew wide.

“Big!” Syrus grinned.

“Yep.” Yugi climbed in with him, shocked to find a car seat.

“We got it yesterday. Seto said Zane was big enough to sit without one but Syrus still needed one.”

Yugi nodded, getting Syrus strapped in before turning to help Zane with the belt buckle. Mokuba and Joey buckled too. Usually, they would go without them. But it helped to set a good example for the younger two.

“Zane actually could use a booster seat.” Joey pointed out. “They’re for kids under eight I think.”

Once they were in the car, the boys seemed nervous again. “You were in a car to get to…that bad place, right?”

Zane nodded shortly.

“Don’t worry. We’re just going to the mall. You guys live with Yugi now, so we gotta get you your own stuff!” Mokuba smiled. “And, I brought drinks.”

He reached into the mini fridge- really, Yugi shouldn’t be surprised that Seto would have a fridge in a limo- and pulled out two juice boxes. “They aren’t strawberry, but I’m sure we can get some later.”

It was enough of a distraction. Syrus focused on the box with the same focus he gave food and drink before, and Zane seemed to pace himself with drinking his. Yugi and Joey talked quietly about the latest tournament as Mokuba listened on.

“Oh Yugi, you’re gonna miss the next one!” Mokuba pointed out.

“That was next week, wasn’t it?” Yugi asked.

Mokuba nodded. “Pegasus was hosting it.”

“Zane and Syrus are more important. Let the King of Games take a break.” Yugi could use a break from tournaments. And work. He could still run the shop, but he wanted to take some time away from Kaiba Corp to spend time with Zane and Syrus.

Traffic wasn’t terrible, and they reached the mall in good time.

Yugi wondered if the look of wonder and hesitation on the boys would ever go away, and if it would ever stop hurting so much to see them like that. _Everything is new to them. Their world consisted of one house probably, if even that. And they learned from Duel Monsters, there’s only so much that could be taught._

He picked up Syrus again and Zane surprised him by letting Joey carry him. “It’s a lot of walking, no need to tire ‘im out in the first store.” Joey said. Zane drew in a sharp breath as Joey’s hand pressed against the bruising. “Sorry kiddo…Here, is this better?” He switched his hold on Zane, getting the boy to sit on his shoulders. Yugi looked alarmed for a moment, though he trusted Joey to not drop him.

“Yes.” Zane replied.

“Right. Let’s get started then!” Joey cheered. “What’s first?”

“Well, we need everything.” Yugi said. “I think we should start with furniture.” It was the store closest to the entrance.

He led the way into the store, and they were greeted by an employee. “Can I help you find anything today?” She asked.

“We’re looking for everything for a child’s room.” Yugi said. “Two beds, two dressers, bedding, hangers, toy boxes, and a bookshelf.”

“Can do!” She looked genuinely interested in helping them. “For these two little ones?” She looked at Syrus and Zane.

“Yes.” Yugi said.

As they walked around to find everything, her interest was explained. “I’m a foster baby myself. I helped my last parents get things for a three-year-old they were going to foster after me. I aged out of the system, but I’m still close to them.”

“I just adopted these two.” Yugi said.

“Aww. You’re hardly more than a baby yourself.” She grinned. “Alright, here’s all the bed stuff we have! Might I suggest ones with raised sides for this little guy?”  She ruffled Syrus’ hair.

“That’s exactly what I was going to look for.” Yugi said.

“I’ll help Zane out Yug’.” Joey offered. “Gonna find something awesome! What’s the budget?”

“No budget.” Mokuba cut in, holding up a credit card. “It’s an unlimited card from my brother. And non-negotiable.” He added to Yugi. “Seto said you can buy books and toys, but clothing and other stuff gets put on the card.”

 _I knew he would do that._ Yugi sighed mentally. He knew better than to argue. “Alright.”

He was grateful for Joey’s help. Picking out something for Syrus was easy. The bedframe was a lower one, easy for him to climb in and out of, with slightly raised sides so he wouldn’t fall out if he rolled in his sleep. Zane was a bit harder to find something for.

Joey was patient with him, smiling as Yugi and Syrus came over to join them. Mokuba was talking with the store employee.  It took some time, but Yugi finally noticed how Zane always looked back at one bedframe design. They got that one, and he caught a hint of a smile of Zane’s face.

The dressers were far easier to get, just two simple wood ones. “These are great for children.” The employee said. “The wood’s been treated with a special paint, so if they want to color on them, it’s perfectly fine. Just some water will take crayon and marker right off of it.”

“Oh! Chalk desks.” Yugi said. “Would those be good for them?”

“Of course.” She smiled brightly. “Those are a lot of fun.”

The boys picked out the desks, and toy chests, and a bookshelf. “Toys?” Syrus looked interested at the mention of them.

“Cyber keeps a few toys for us with him.” Zane explained. “Syrus loves them.”

“You two are getting a lot more toys today.” Mokuba decided. Yugi made a mental note to keep an eye on him. Knowing the younger boy, he would try to buy the entire toy store.

When they were done and everything paid for, Yugi worried how they would get everything back home. “There’s a truck waiting for everything.” Mokuba told him. “Just worry about getting everything inside when we’re done.”

Yugi nodded. They said goodbye to the employee and walked out into the mall’s court. Syrus stared, wide-eyed, at everything around them. It was a little intimidating, and he hid his face against Yugi’s chest.

“It’s alright Syrus. I know it’s a lot to take in.” Yugi soothed him. “We’ll go to one more store, then we’ll get something to eat.” He could find a quiet place then to let the boys rest and adjust to everything.

“I want down.” Zane said, looking at Joey. “I wanna walk.”

“Can do kiddo.” Joey helped Zane off of his shoulders, but kept a hold of Zane’s hand. “It’s a huge mall, don’t want you to get lost.”

Yugi smiled, and moved Syrus to his other side. _Maybe a stroller would be a good idea. Or letting him walk._ “Syrus, do you want to walk too?”

Syrus shook his head. “No.”

“Alright.” He wasn’t too heavy. _I think the Puzzle might’ve weighed more._

The department store was their next stop. “Bedding, pillows, pillow cases, towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, bubbles.” Yugi murmured the list.

“And toys.” Mokuba added with a grin. “Get some here, and some at the toy shop. And candy!”

“Easy on the candy.” Joey said. “While I’m all for candy and junk food, that’s not what Zane and Syrus need right now.”

“Wow, Joey being the voice of reason with food?” Yugi teased. “Never thought we’d see that.”

Joey shrugged. “No need to overload their sense of taste or their stomachs with junk food. Let’em get used to the stuff slowly.”

Yugi nodded in agreement as they walk into the store. To his relief, the store had carts. “Here Sy, sit in the cart. That way I can help you and Zane pick out things easier.”

Syrus looked a bit unsure about the cart, but offered no protest. As Yugi pushed the cart, he began to find it fun and looked around the store. “Strawberry!” He cheered as they approached the bath items.

Yugi laughed. “You’re going to turn into a strawberry at this rate.” He grabbed shampoo and conditioner that smelled like strawberries. “Zane, which type do you want?”

The boy shrugged. “I don’t know…”

“Take your time and find one you think you’ll like.” Yugi said, grabbing a bottle of lavender soap. _Lavender’s supposed to be anti-stress or something like that. This should be good._ He put the soap in the cart. Joey added in the ones that Zane picked out as well.

“These too?” The question was so soft, Yugi almost didn’t hear it. But Zane was holding two bottle of bubbles. One had pictures of Duel Monsters on it, the other was a lavender one like the soap.

“Of course.” Yugi said warmly. “Can you put them in the cart?”

With Joey’s help, Zane managed to get them into the cart. Yugi felt a pang of sadness. Zane seemed terrified to ask for something so simple as bubbles.

“It’ll get better. Give him time.” Joey whispered, hand resting comfortingly on Yugi’s back. “It’s his first day with a parent that actually _cares_ , I’m surprised he actually asked for anything really.”

Mokuba had gotten Zane’s attention, showing him different things in the aisle. “Here, detangler.” Joey reached over Yugi to grab a bottle. “This stuff is a life saver, Serenity’s been practically drowning me in it.”

“I can’t wait for her to meet the kids.” Yugi said.

“Yeah, maybe you can let her babysit, let her see that she won’t want kids ‘til she’s forty.” Joey grinned.

“I want everyone to meet them. But slowly.” The smaller admitted. No need in stressing the boys out by having the entire group together for the first meeting. “Meeting Seto, Mokuba, Pegasus, _and_ a doctor yesterday seemed to be a bit too much.”

“Any panic attacks? Magic outburst?”

“One outburst. A Cyber Dragon didn’t take too kindly to the doctor.” Yugi said. “But no panic attacks that I could recognize. They were relieved to be away from everyone when I finally moved them to my room to sleep though.” Syrus was beginning to look a bit bored, so Yugi called Zane and Mokuba over to head towards the small toy department that the store had.

“Understandable. I wouldn’t want to spend too much time around both Kaiba and Pegasus at the same time.”

Yugi shot Joey a look. “You know what I mean. Too many people at once. I’m actually a bit worried about how they’ll handle the food court.”

“We can go hang at Duke’s.” Joey said. “The second he sees us with kids? We’ll have a private room. And possibly Tristan to go with the room.”

“As long as there’s strawberries.”

“Duke will buy an entire _truckload_ of strawberries.” Joey said with a serious face. “Face it Yugi, once the others meet these two? They’re gonna be spoiled rotten.”

“Don’t I know it.” Yugi muttered.

The wonder the boys showed at the small toy aisle in the department store made the older three excited for the toy store. If there was any way to get the boys to open up, it was through toys and games. Mokuba seemed more than happy to go off on his own, and Zane stayed close to Yugi.

 _Mokuba’s still a kid, even if he’s looking more professional._ Yugi watched him talking at breakneck speed to Joey about different toys. A stuffed kitten seemed to keep Syrus happy once Yugi found one. Zane was more interested in the interactive games. Yugi helped him pick a few, glad that he seemed more at ease.

“This is all for us?” Zane’s voice was quiet again, looking at the cart. Yugi realized that it was getting full with everything they had picked out.

“It is.” Yugi confirmed. “I was serious when I said you were staying with me Zane. And that includes getting you and Syrus things of your own.”

Another nod was the answer to what he said. _A bit antisocial, but that’s to be expected._ Yugi smiled as they walked further down the aisle. “I knew we’d find them!”

There was only a small display for Duel Monsters. Packs of cards, full decks, and what Yugi had spotted, belts with deck holders on them. “It’ll be easier to keep track of your cards with a holder.” Yugi’s own deck was in the holder around his hips. A habit Atem had gotten him into, and one that Yugi didn’t want to break.

Zane looked at the deck holders, pointing to a black one on a belt. “That one?”

Yugi grabbed it for him. It was leather, and sturdy. “Seems like a perfect one!” He smiled.

“Figures you’d find the Dueling section.” Mokuba walked over with Joey to join them. “Getting new cards?”

Yugi shook his head. “Not today. We’ll go card shopping later, maybe help Syrus get a deck started.”

“We can share a deck.” Zane said.

“But what if you want to duel each other?” Yugi asked.

“We split it.”

Joey chuckled. “Kiddo, a deck only works with all the cards. And this way, you two can make more friends.”

“Like Cyber?”

“Yep!”

Syrus grinned at that. “Cyber! More Cybers?”

“I’m afraid not.” Yugi chuckled. “There’s only three Cyber Dragons, and they’re in your brother’s deck. But we can find you good cards of your own later.”

As they headed towards the checkout with the full cart, Yugi realized that what Pegasus had said before was true. How long had it been since he had been truly happy? Able to smile so openly without a hint of pain behind it, spending time with Joey and talking about Duel Monsters without it leading to a melancholy mood.

There was no sadness as they walked. Syrus was still hugging the stuffed kitten as he looked around at everything. Zane was tentatively asking Joey questions about dueling, Mokuba cutting in every so often.

What was there, was a slight chill. Yugi frowned. _That’s odd…_ The store had felt perfectly fine before. The chill disappeared as soon as it came, but it left a sense of worry behind. Yugi couldn’t pinpoint just why. _Something’s going on. Oh Ra, please no. Let me have time with the boys._ He shoved it away.

Whatever it was, would have to wait. Yugi had different priorities. Ones that needed him more than anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch, dice, doctor, and breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to cut the shopping between two chapters. But hey, this one has Duke. And more of Zane and Syrus being adorable kids.  
> And the strawberry addiction. I have no idea where it came from, but it’s too adorable to stop. Kids have favorite tastes and scents and Syrus’ happens to be strawberry. At least it’s not candy. Not yet anyway.
> 
> Does Duke own a café and game shop? Hell if I know. He does now.
> 
> There’s some Joey and Yugi cuddling in the last bit of this chapter. They got a close friendship, there’s like no boundaries between them. And for now, this story goes without a main pairing, for it shall not appear again until way later. (The past Puzzleshipping is brought up, and it goes deeper than anyone might think)
> 
> Warning: Zane has a mini panic attack. Yugi learns panic attacks vary greatly and aren’t just the hyperventilating and crying.

“Lunch!” Joey cheered, Syrus joining in with him as Joey spun the toddler around.

 _Stroller. Next thing we get after lunch._ Yugi reminded himself, looking at his best friend and youngest son. They had gotten out of the department store with no problem. Mokuba had called someone from the truck to get the items to keep them in with the furniture. Except for the stuffed kitten Syrus had named ‘Kitty’. He held tight to that even as Joey was spinning him.

“Don’t make him sick.” Yugi warned.

Zane was walking next to him, leaning close and holding onto his shirt nervously as they drew closer to the food court. The belt with his deck holder was around his waist, the cards safely tucked away.

It was a lot less busy, being closer to one in the afternoon. The lunch rush was mostly gone, leaving bored students, workers on break, and families in the court. It was still enough people to make Yugi question if he shouldn’t let Joey and Mokuba go get the food while he and Zane waited in a less crowded area. Syrus didn’t seem to be too affected by the crowd.

Luckily, the café Duke had seemed empty. Yugi found the idea of a duel-themed café to be genius. So of course, Seto thought it a terrible idea, but Yugi and Mokuba both knew he was just mad he didn’t do it first.

There were very few people there. Two people playing with just their cards, a few others eating, and Duke wandering around, charming his guests.

“Don’t fall for it.” Joey grinned at the girl Duke had been talking to. “He talks a big game, but his heart belongs to those dice of his.”

Duke turned around to say something, but stopped as he saw who was with Joey. “Um…What?”

Joey grinned, bouncing Syrus. “What? Is it strange for me to be carrying my nephew?”

“Huh?”

“Should’ve seen him with Zane.” Mokuba snickered. “Hey, maybe you can carry both at once.”

“Maybe we aren’t going to find out.” Yugi said. That sounded a bit too dangerous.

“Yugi. Kids. Explain.” Duke looked from Syrus to Zane. “I leave you two alone for two days and suddenly your babysitting business has expanded.”

“It’s not babysitting.” Yugi said. “I can explain, but, over lunch?”

“Stra’beri!” Syrus cheered. Duke’s alarmed and confused look softened seeing the two-year-old so excited over a fruit.

“You have a _lot_ of explaining.” Duke said. “But yeah, we can talk over strawberries.”

 

* * *

 

Lunch is easy to order when the person taking orders already knows half of what is being ordered. Duke already has Joey, Yugi, and Mokuba’s orders down- including the strawberries- when he seats them at the most secluded table possible. It was a booth, away from the crowd, but not completely closed off. Mokuba and Joey sit on one side, Syrus between them, and Yugi and Zane sit on the other side.

“This way we can help Syrus, you can help Zane.” Joey said.

“Alright, so what’s being ordered for the kids?” Duke asked.

Yugi looked over the menu. Something light with milder flavors would be good. Not sandwiches, they had those for lunch yesterday. He wanted them to try new things. “Milk for both of them. How about…”

“Hot dogs.” Joey said. “Easy kid meal. We can cut it up for Syrus.”

“Does that sound good?” Yugi asked the boys, getting nods. _Syrus would agree to anything right now so long as he got his strawberries._ He thought fondly.

“Alright. Salad for the pipsqueak Kaiba, everything sandwich for the walking blackhole, fish sandwich and fries for the King of Games, and hot dogs for the kids. Milk, milkshake, tea, and chocolate milkshake?”

“You sure on milk Yug’? What about that lactose thing?”

“Intolerance?” Yugi frowned. Maybe sticking to juice would be best until the doctor was able to test them for allergies and intolerance.

“It should be fine.” Duke waved off the concern. “I mean they’ve had milk before, right?”

Syrus shook his head. “No.”

Zane was still unsure of Duke. Being in a new place, he found it easier to stick close to Yugi. He was sitting between Yugi and the wall, glad for the fact that Yugi was between him and Duke. But he shook his head too.

“…Milk should still be fine.” Duke said. “I’ll take this back and then you are _definitely_ explaining.”

It didn’t take long for Duke to take the orders back and hand off the waiting to the waitress working that day. He grabbed a chair, bringing it over and looking expectantly at Yugi. “Alright start talking.”

“Well, the one who’s all smiles and has a strawberry addiction after only one day, is Syrus.” Yugi introduced. “And the shy one hiding behind me is Zane.” He put a comforting hand on the top of Zane’s hand. “This is Duke Devlin, a friend of mine. Owner of the ‘game shop that shall not be named’ according to my grandpa. And creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters.”

“And his girlfriend, the dice.” Joey muttered, earning a slap to the back of the head from Mokuba.

“Zane and Syrus are my sons.” Easier to start with that, Yugi guessed.

“How? Zane’s like seven and you’re nineteen. And last I checked, in a relationship with a time jumping pharaoh.” Duke said.

“He’s five, and adoption.” Yugi explained.

Duke nodded slowly. “Well for their sake, thank the gods.” The others looked confusedly at him. “What? My aunt’s a social worker. Sometimes when she was babysitting me, I’d meet her clients. I know an abuse case when I see one. And I know Yugi doesn’t do things in halves and would stab himself in the heart before ever thinking of hurting a kid.”

“There’s a lot more to it than that.”

As Yugi explained the circumstances around the abuse and adoption- keeping it simple, they were still in public and he didn’t feel the need for _everyone_ to know the entire story- he was grateful Duke was more observant and ready to read between lines.

He couldn’t exactly spill the secrets of Magic in public. But a few well-placed words and referencing their past adventures got Duke clued in quickly.

“That could be a problem you know.” Duke said. “Is it an isolated case, or did something happen to cause a rip in the stitching?”

 _Shadow Magic leaking out?_ Yugi thought about it. Well, it had to be. For Zane and Syrus to have the magic, there had to be a leak that gave them that gift. _It is a problem. If someone got a hold of the magic and used it wrong, or didn’t know how to control it._

The conversation was put on hold as the food was brought out. Yugi smiled gratefully as he saw the plate of strawberries. Even Zane looked a bit interested in them. _We can pick up more fruit. It’s good for them._

“Hot dogs, the perfect food for kids.” Duke grinned. “Maybe you two could be taste testers. I’ve been looking to expand the café’s menu for kids. So far we only really got hot dogs and fries.”

“Later. _Way_ later.” Yugi said, turning his attention to Zane and Syrus. The hot dog and bun were already cut up for Syrus. Zane was looking at his before taking a small bite. _He seems to be fine._ Yugi took a bite of his own sandwich, moving a few of the strawberries onto a smaller plate for Zane before Syrus could try to eat them all.

“You seem to be taking to parenting well.” Duke commented. “Who knew you’d have the strong paternal instincts out of all of us?”

“Well it’s not easy, but I’m learning.” Yugi smiled softly. “It’s only the first full day.”

“And nothing’s gone wrong so far.”

 _Don’t jinx it._ Yugi thought, grabbing a fry. “Joey, I forgot this morning, can you check Syrus for a fever?”

Joey nodded, putting a hand to the boy’s forehead. “Seems normal. Should we pick up medicine in case?”

“Yeah. We can do that and I can drop off the prescriptions.” They wouldn’t take too long at the pharmacy in the mall. And they could do the clothes shopping as they wait. “Careful Syrus, I’m sure Kitty doesn’t like strawberries.” He smiled. Syrus refused to let go of the stuffed animal, even to eat.

“Don’t forget we gotta get a booster seat for Zane too.” Joey was already finished with his sandwich.

“Is not pacing yourself while eating…?” Yugi wasn’t quite sure how to word the question, not knowing how much Duke and Mokuba knew of Joey’s home life.

Joey shrugged. “It can be. I just forgot breakfast this mornin’ and Serenity stayed at a friend’s house so she couldn’t remind me.”

“Right.” Maybe books would be helpful too. “Alright, so the pharmacy, bookstore, clothing store, where can we get the booster seat?”

“Department store.” Duke said.

“We were just there.” Mokuba sighed. “I can go get it and meet you guys at the bookstore.” He offered.

“Thank you, Mokuba.” Yugi smiled.

“I should get back to work. Gotta set a good example as the owner after all.” Duke chuckled. “Have fun with learning the joys of tired children after a day of shopping.” He teased.

“We’re keeping things quick and hopefully easy.” Yugi said. Syrus didn’t seem to mind the shopping. It was all new to him, and he took it in with the enthusiasm of a child in a new playground.

It was new to Zane too, but he seemed to move closer to Yugi with everything they did. Yugi frowned. Maybe it was a bit too much for him. _We’ll try one more store. If it’s too much, I’ll ask Joey to get him a few outfits and we’ll come back another day for Zane to pick out a few things._

He let his magic reach out, twining around the boys. Syrus didn’t react, but Zane immediately looked to Yugi. The child’s magic was wrapped tightly around himself, buzzing just beneath his skin and ready to lash out if something upset or surprised him.

 _And lashing out would mean summoning._ Yugi thought. So far, the accidental summons the older five had done were in remote areas where damage was minimal. But in a mall, the Cyber Dragons could do some damage that would be hard to pass off as just holograms gone wrong.

Syrus’ magic was lighter than Zane’s, poking and prodding at anything and everything. It danced around Joey and Mokuba, and curled around Yugi and Zane. It made Yugi smile again. _I’m hesitant to call it Shadow Magic. Maybe there’s different branches?_

He knew their magic was nothing like fairy tales. It was highly defensive, and dark in nature. To misuse it was to bring madness unto one’s self. Like what happened to Malik, and to Bakura. Had he met Syrus and Zane when he was younger, he would’ve pitied them. Bearing the magic as children, he saw it as a curse for a while. Amazing, what four short years could do.

The magic wasn’t a curse, or something to fear. They could control it. Yugi was willing to bet that Zane and Syrus would eventually control it better than him and the others. They could learn it over the course of years, and not just the short time the original five had so far.

Zane leaned against Yugi when he was done eating. The older was happy to see that he was taking his time in drinking the milk. Syrus had already finished his, and was pouting at Joey, who had taken away the strawberries.

“Kiddo, you’ve eaten plenty.” Joey chuckled. “I’m sure your dad wouldn’t like me very much if I let you eat yourself to a stomachache.”

Yugi blinked. It was the first time he had really been mentioned as their parent. Mahaad had called them his sons, and Yugi even called them that. It seemed all the more real with Joey calling him Syrus’ dad.

Neither child spoke up about it either. Syrus just turned his pout to Yugi, looking like a hurt puppy.

 _He’s so young. What abuse they went through will be so easy for him to push aside. Part of that is thanks to Zane._ Yugi shook his head. “Joey’s right. You don’t want to eat too much.” He paused for a second to think. “How about we have strawberries for desert after dinner? I can make strawberry cake cups.”

“Yay!” Syrus cheered.

Shock filtered through the small bond the magic at the table held and Yugi looked at Zane. _Should I be easing them into a normal life? He’s not used to any of this._ Yugi pushed comfort into the magic, getting Zane to relax against his side again.

“How are you feeling?” Yugi asked quietly. “Does your back hurt from the bruises? Your side?”

“I’m okay.” Zane replied, but the shifting of how he was leaning told Yugi a different story. Their trip to the pharmacy was going to take longer than Yugi planned.

 _I’ll send Joey with Syrus to the clothing store._ Syrus had protested strongly to the doctor giving him medicine. Yugi wasn’t going to bring him into a huge store full of medicine.

Only when Zane seemed comfortable again did Yugi turn his attention back to the others. When they were all done eating, they would leave.

 

* * *

 

“Joey, take Syrus on ahead.” Yugi said. “I don’t want him in the pharmacy.” Thankfully, neither boy seemed to know that word.

“Alright Yug’.” Joey looked confused, but didn’t argue as he took Syrus. Mokuba was back at the department store getting the booster seat.

“Zane, do you want to go with Joey?” Yugi asked. He didn’t want to separate the brothers. Syrus seemed perfectly happy to be with Joey, but Zane hadn’t moved from Yugi’s side since leaving the café.

“I want to stay with you.” His eyes stayed on Syrus as he said it to Yugi.

Yugi crouched down. “Zane, the pharmacy is a medicine store. I’m not going to take Syrus in there. You can stay with me if you want, or go with Joey. I won’t take too long.”

Zane shook his head. “I want to stay with you.” He repeated, looking at Yugi.

“Alright.” Yugi stood up, nodding to Joey. He knew it was going to take a little time to find what he needed and hand over the prescriptions, he would try to make it as quick as possible though.

As soon as they were separated, Yugi noticed the change. Zane’s magic was back to being on high alert. _Maybe I should’ve gotten the stuff at the department store._ He wanted to buy it away from Syrus to keep him from seeing the medicine. _Or sent Joey while I took the boys to the book store._

Walking into the pharmacy, he knew he made the wrong choice. It was a bit more crowded than he expected. _Well…we can try it._ He decided. Zane’s hand was clutching his shirt tightly, and Yugi moved to grab his son’s hand with his own.

“It’ll be quick.” He murmured. There was no line at the drop-off station for the prescription medication. The crowd was near the other side of the store, and Zane relaxed a bit. But Yugi knew they were on a time limit for how much Zane could handle.

“I need to drop off a few prescriptions.” He said to the nurse at the station, handing over the slips of paper.

The nurse looked them over before nodding. “Alright.” He smiled. “I’ll get these in and they’ll be ready in an hour.”

Yugi gave him the information he needed to type into the computer and thanked him before moving on. Zane had moved closer in that time, almost hiding behind Yugi. Yugi pulled his magic taunt, getting it to cooperate in wrapping around Zane. It seemed to help the boy stay calm.

Thankfully, the pain relievers were in the same aisle as the bruise creams. Yugi grabbed children’s Tylenol, a bruise cream, and children’s allergy medicine when he noticed it with the pain relievers. The aisle was empty, but Yugi didn’t want to chance it becoming crowded if he took too long.

Zane was oddly quiet through the whole thing. Even as Yugi rushed through the checkout. He was hiding, there was no other way to explain it. He gripped Yugi’s hand tightly, eyes giving away the fear.

 _Oh this was a horrible mistake on my part._ He got Zane out of the store, holding the bag on one arm as he walked over to a small seating area away from the slight crowd that was beginning to build up.

Yugi was shocked as Zane crawled onto his lap, curling up much like Syrus had did when the doctor brought out the medicine. He clutched Yugi’s shirt tightly, eyes closed and Yugi could tell he wanted to cry.

 _Just like Syrus…but without the panic attack._ Yugi had thought about that last night. The only way to describe Syrus’ actions was a panic attack. _Or, is Zane having a panic attack?_

The realization almost made Yugi sick. _And I let him come with me there! Away from Syrus and with that crowd!_ He would guilt himself later, calming Zane down was the priority. He hugged Zane, careful of the bruise and cradling his head as he rocked softly.

“It’s alright.” He whispered. “It’s ok. I’m sorry Zane, I should’ve told you to go with Joey or waited to go in there.”

Zane didn’t reply, just turning his head to hide against Yugi’s chest. Yugi kept whispering to him. He shoved away his own panic of wondering if he was even helping. Zane did seem to be calming down, so he had to be doing something right.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, pressing a kiss to the top of Zane’s head. Panic attacks weren’t something Yugi had a lot of experience with. He only had two or three, and each time Atem was able to bring him out of them. They were nothing major or even something he thought on often, just isolated cases from stress or danger.

“Yugi?” Yugi looked up, meeting Joey’s eyes. The amber there was soft with understanding. Joey sat down beside Yugi, leaving some space between them for Syrus. “It was a bit too crowded?”

Yugi nodded, watching as Syrus reached out to comfort his brother. “It was a mistake on my part. I should’ve waited, or sent him with you.”

“He wanted to stay with you.” Joey said gently. “Sending him with me might’ve come to the same conclusion.”

So waiting would have been the right choice. _All the talk I do about pacing, yet I didn’t even follow it myself._

A soft burst of magic drew attention back to the brothers. Syrus was leaning closer to Zane, his magic threading around his older brother’s, covering him like a blanket. It was comforting, and the shocked look in Joey’s eyes said that he could feel the magic too.

 _Amazing. Joey’s sensitive to magic, but it still takes some power for him to be able to feel it._ The boys were already so powerful.

Zane’s grip on Yugi’s shirt eventually relaxed, his head turning to look at Syrus. Dark blue-gray met baby blue-gray, and Yugi found himself wondering again if they had a sort of mind link. Whatever they had, it seemed to comfort Zane enough for him to lean tiredly against Yugi.

“Books should wait.” Joey whispered. “We can get them a few outfits then go.”

They waited for Mokuba to find them before filling him in on the situation. “We can always send someone out to get clothes for them.” Mokuba offered. “Plenty of the staff have children of their own, they know what to get.”

“I can get books from an online store.” Yugi added. “Let’s get the boys home.”

 

* * *

 

Zane and Syrus were asleep as soon as they got into the limo. Yugi looked at both boys worriedly.

“Roland’s staying to pick up the medicine.” Mokuba said. “What happened exactly?”

“I think Zane had a panic attack.” Yugi sighed. “I shouldn’t have brought him in the store. There was a crowd, I didn’t think it was too big at first.”

“That was a panic attack.” Joey agreed. “Sometimes they’re just quiet attacks.” He brushed a hand through Zane’s hair. “You did good getting him out of it Yug’.”

“I shouldn’t have needed to.” Yugi looked down at his hands on his lap. “First day with me and it causes panic…”

“Hey.” Joey moved to the floor of the limo, crouching in front of Yugi. “Like you just said. It’s the first day. A trial run really. Did you know how to keep me from having one the first time you saw me have one?”

“No.”

“Things take time.” Joey smiled softly. “As much as we think you are at times, you aren’t psychic. You didn’t know. But now you do. Zane doesn’t do well with crowds yet. You know that now, and can help him work up to being around crowds.”

Yugi leaned forward, resting his forehead against Joey’s and closing his eyes. He was very tactile person most days, wanting close contact with whoever he was with. Most days, Joey was the easiest person to be around for that. He accepted it without question or awkwardness.

He couldn’t break down. Not in front of Mokuba, not in front of his sons. But he knew one was coming. He just had to be strong for a little while longer.

They reached the game shop and Yugi noticed everything was already inside the shop. Seto was leaning against the shop counter. The conference in Hong Kong must have been early, and ended early too. “That was fast.” He commented.

“Had to cut it short.” Yugi said, carrying Zane inside while Joey carried Syrus. “I miscalculated something and Zane had a panic attack.”

Seto’s eyes widened.

“Careful Kaiba, you look almost human like that.” Joey joked. “He’s fine. Yugi handled it perfectly, and Syrus helped.”

“It was safer to bring them home, I wasn’t going to make them continue shopping after that.” Yugi added, unlocking the door to the house. He led the others in and laid Zane down on the couch before sitting next to him.

“Yug’, stay out here with the kids. We’ll get everything set up.” Joey handed Syrus over to him.

Yugi looked up at Joey, unsure about it. Seto rolled his eyes. “We’ll handle things. You stay with the boys.” The brunette said.

With a nod, Yugi leaned back against the couch, making sure Syrus was comfortable. The toddler was sucking on his thumb, and still held tightly to Kitty. He looked so peaceful and adorable.

There was shuffling at his side before a weight pressed against his left side. Zane had woken up just to move closer and fall back asleep. Yugi looked at him sadly. _I’m sorry. I’ll do better now, I promise._ He wouldn’t make the same mistakes. _My father wasn’t around, and now my mother isn’t too. But Grandpa raised me, and I’ll raise you two like he did._

While the other three worked to clear out the room and move the boys’ things into it, Yugi made sure the boys stayed asleep. He hummed lightly, closing his eyes. The song wasn’t one of his own. It was one he had only heard in dreams, in his Soul Room. It worked to keep the boys asleep, even with the noise upstairs. He remembered that it was a song from Atem. A gentle lullaby that helped them both sleep.

And now it was helping his sons sleep. The burst of affection Yugi felt brought a serene smile to his face. _You would love them, Other Me._

He must have dosed off, the next thing Yugi knew was Joey shaking his shoulder. “Shopping take that much out of ya?”

“Guess so.” Yugi stretched, noticing the lack of a child on his lap. “Syrus? Zane?”

Joey nodded to further down the couch where the boys were slowly waking up. “It’s almost five. Had to wake ‘em up or they wouldn’t sleep tonight.”

“Thank you.” Yugi yawned. He needed a nap more than he realized. “Staying over tonight?”

“If I can.” Joey grinned. “Serenity’s staying wit’ Mokuba tonight. They got a group project to work on before school starts up again.”

Yugi laughed. “You mean they actually managed to put off doing school work without you and Seto badgering them to get it done until now?”

“Not quite.” Seto was still there as well, Yugi was surprised. “Their teacher emailed the project a day ago. I didn’t press Mokuba to do it because I knew he wouldn’t.”

Not with everything that had happened yesterday. Yugi was glad Mokuba wasn’t ignoring school in favor of staying over though. It was a good sign of his maturity that he was doing work even on break, and a good example for Zane and Syrus.

“Did you and Pegasus get everything done? And in Hong Kong?” Yugi questioned.

“It’s all smoothed out.” Seto said. “The contract for Duel Monsters was renewed for ten more years, and there will be a Duel themed park in Hong Kong built in the next three. Along with the Duel Links system expanding, and another VR game.”

“Which means more beta testing.” Yugi looked excited. It was one of his favorite parts of working with Seto. He had a natural talent for VR games, which made him a good beta tester. Joey and Mokuba were often dragged into the beta as well. Yugi soothed them, saying it was fun with more people. Seto didn’t sugar coat it; they were there as a handicap for Yugi. Having to protect two other teammates made sure he didn’t just breeze through the game.

“Not for you.” Yugi pouted at that. “You are on paternity leave for five months.”

“ _Five_?” He wasn’t going to protest. He knew it would take more than five months to get Zane and Syrus truly comfortable. “Alright.”

Seto looked at the boys, who were more awake. Zane moved over to Yugi again, leaning against his side, Syrus stayed on his end of the couch. He had kitty’s ear in his mouth instead of his thumb now. Yugi was confused about that.

“Mu-…Wheeler, take the boys to go get something to eat.” Seto nodded towards the kitchen. “I need to talk to Yugi.”

Joey looked puzzled. “About what?”

“Just go.”

He left no room for arguments. Joey and Yugi shared a look, the taller shrugging and picking up Syrus. “Come on Zane, let’s get some dinner.”

“Nothing too heavy.” Yugi said as Joey took the boys.

Seto sat down in the chair to the side of the couch. He had Yugi’s full attention. It had to be serious if he sent the boys out of the room. “What is it?”

“I had a talk with Doctor Yamato on the way back from Hong Kong.” Seto said. “Their next appointment, for the x-rays and vaccines and allergy testing is in three days. Expect them to be a bit cranky afterwards.” Mokuba always was when he had to get any sort of shot.

“Right.” It would be a Thursday. He’d ask Mana if she wanted to work at the shop that day. It couldn’t stay closed for the whole week, though Yugi was hesitant about asking anyone to help with it. He knew he had to, the boys needed his full attention for now.

“And some of their blood tests came back.” Seto reached into the briefcase he always carried, handing Yugi a folder. “Negative for all blood diseases. With the situation being as it is, he tested for STDs and STIs as well, those were all negative.”

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”

“However, both are anemic. So foods high in vitamin B, garlic, no rare meat though. That sometimes helps, but their immune systems are low too, so don’t risk their health any more than it already is.” Seto said. “Roland also picked up the prescriptions, so they can start them tonight.” He nodded to the bottles on the coffee table.

One was the vitamins the doctor recommended, Yugi noticed they were gummy vitamins. Another was something to help them sleep if they had trouble. The larger bottle was some immune booster.

“He also brought up something we didn’t think of.”

“What?” Yugi grew worried.

“It’s nothing bad. I don’t think.” Seto gestured to the bag on the table next to the prescriptions. “Just that neither of the boys would have been weaned off of formula and bottles correctly. Zane probably just stopped on his own when Syrus needed them more. And may have tried the same with Syrus. They haven’t tried drinking on their own yet, have they?”

“Zane did. We stopped by Duke’s café for lunch. He was fine with a small glass.” He did notice they both had some trouble with it. Zane hadn’t needed help though, and Syrus had a straw with his. “Joey helped Syrus.”

“Yamato said that it wouldn’t hurt for them to have formula still.” Yugi grabbed the bag, looking inside. Two bottles, four lidded cups, and both liquid and powdered formula, along with a small instruction book. “You might want to get a few more things, but this is a good start.”

“Did he say when? Or just any time during the day?” Yugi asked.

“Any time, though around breakfast and dinner time would probably be best.”

Yugi nodded slowly. He hadn’t expected that they would still need formula or bottles, but it did make sense. Zane raising himself and Syrus for as long as he could remember, there was bound to be a few bumps that Yugi would have to help them with. “Everything else seems fine. No diapers, no infant clothes, no pacifiers.” Yugi kept a close eye on the boys the past day. It seemed that Cyber, who helped raise both boys for the years they were alone, prioritized some things while letting others escape notice. It wasn’t his fault, or Zane’s. Zane was just a child himself, and Cyber a dragon.

“Don’t write off pacifiers just yet.” Seto said. “They’re both behind in development, no matter how mature Zane seems at times. Syrus may need one for comfort.”

“I’ll order a few when I get the books then. I’m not taking the boys back out.” And he wasn’t going to leave them to go to the store on his own. “And I’m ordering the parenting books now…”

He turned on the disk. “You know, you could market these as just laptop alternatives.” Yugi smirked. “You’re already in the cellphone market, might as well dive in fully to everyday electronics.”

“That is going to take some more time. These primarily run on our magic.” Seto explained. “And some of the Quantum Cube’s power. I had to use it to cut down on the magical strain that summoning can cause.”

It was the strangest thing they had done together, looking through parenting websites for the best books. “If I start getting ads for baby stuff I’m going to sign you up for all of them.” Yugi warned. He chose a few books for himself before moving on to the preschool and home school section. “Which ones should I get?”

“Easy ones.” Seto murmured. “Stick to the preschool ones for now, maybe kindergarten.”

With the books chosen, Yugi clicked the express shipping and paid for them. He moved to the next website, getting the pacifiers, a few more bottles, and more toys. He looked towards the kitchen before clicking on the checkout. “Is everything ok in there Joey?” It had been a bit too quiet for Yugi’s liking.

“Yeah! We’re trying carrots and some jelly sandwiches. No peanut butter yet.” Joey replied.

“Just wait until you find a food they don’t like.” Seto smirked at Yugi. “Once they’re comfortable, they’ll let you know if they don’t like it.”

“Is it bad that I’m hoping for that to happen?” Yugi asked. He remembered the fits he used to throw when his grandfather would try and get him to eat something he didn’t like. Even as an adult, there were some foods Yugi just wouldn’t budge on. But that was part of being a child; protesting some foods.

“It’s not.” Seto sounded almost soothing. He understood where Yugi was coming from. Mokuba could have ended up almost like Zane and Syrus if Gozaburo had his way. It took Seto some time to willingly be away from his brother both before and after their stepfather’s death. “Try vegetables. No kid likes the taste of brussel sprouts.”

Yugi grimaced. _He_ didn’t like their taste. “Now why would I torture them with those? At least they aren’t protesting the carrots.”

Yugi loved to cook. He wasn’t the best at it, but his grandfather had collected quite a few cookbooks from around the world. It was fun to try different recipes. Of course, when he was younger, he never saw the appeal. So long as he could cook the basics, he was fine. But with his participation in tournaments lessening and school being over, he needed something to take up his free time. And carrots were one of his favorite vegetables to cook with.

“I should get them a few more outfits…” Yugi looked at the display that was still open to a shopping website. “We didn’t hit the clothing store. Or the toy store.”

“They have enough for a few more days.” Seto said. “I had Roland pick up a few outfits when he picked up the prescriptions.”

“Thank you.” Yugi sighed. “I’m going to start making checklists. Just so I don’t forget anything or do something wrong.”

“It’ll get easier.”

 

* * *

 

Seto left soon after dinner, which ended up being sandwiches for everyone. Once the boys saw Yugi again, they clung to him, leaving him unable to cook even if he wanted to. It was a good sign, if the soft smile Seto gave them was anything to go by.

“They trust ya.” Joey was grinning too. “Clinging is a good thing for now.”

He would have to be careful, introducing them to more things and people that were safe. Syrus seemed to get the idea already, not letting go of Kitty. Zane kept their deck just as close.

They were sitting in the kitchen now, Yugi finally getting away from the boys long enough to grab the bag and medicines. He was reading the label on the vitamins. “Alright. Starting tonight, after dinner, you two are going to take one vitamin each.” The label said two, but a note from Yamato told Yugi to start with just one, and move it up to two in three months.

He took two out of the bottle, handing one to Zane and one to Syrus. They both stared at it. Syrus looked at Zane, who shrugged before eating the gummy.

“It’s strawberry.”

That was all that needed said before Syrus ate his.

Yugi smiled, grabbing the next bottle. The boys didn’t have any trouble sleeping, so the sleep aids weren’t needed. He would put those up in the medicine cabinet. Thankfully, nothing had to be done with it, it was too high for the boys to reach. The third bottle was the immune booster. Yugi sighed, it was liquid.

“Alright. This one is going to be tough one.” He set it on the table. Syrus shook his head. “I know Sy. But we’re doing what the doctor did, remember? Not the whole bottle.”

He took the cup off the bottle, then the cap, pouring the right amount in. “See? This is all you take. Then Zane gets some too, then I put it up until tomorrow.”

“No.” Syrus whined.

 _Well, it’s not food he’s refusing._ But his reaction, while Yugi knew the horrible reason for it, was common for children. He wasn’t panicking about it either, which Yugi thought was good progress. _It’s still the first day. He may have a bad reaction again._

After some coaxing and promises of more of the strawberry cake cups Yugi managed to make, Syrus took the medicine. For a second, Zane seemed like he was going to protest taking it too, but he gave in quickly.

“Hard part is done.” Yugi shared a smile with Joey. He was glad his best friend was staying the night. Nerves were getting to him, and the guilt about the shopping trip was starting back up. _Not yet._ He told himself. Once the boys were in bed, then he could talk to Joey about it.

Before then, there was still a lot to do. It was only going on seven in the evening. Yugi figured nine would be a good bed time to start with. “Now, Joey I need your help.”

Joey jumped up, walking over to Yugi. “With what?”

“Formula.” At Joey’s confused look, Yugi continued, “Doctor Yamato thought that with their upbringing, the boys might not be fully weaned off formula, or bottles in Syrus’ case.”

“Ah. Makes sense…” Joey looked at the formula. “Don’t some places give formula or milk to kids even when they’re five or six? It’ll help their immune systems too?”

“It should.” Yugi wasn’t sure on the first question.

Together, they managed to make the formula without much difficulty. It wasn’t too warm, and completely dissolved. Syrus accepted the bottle without protest, seeming happier than he had been before.

Zane just stared at the lidded cup before turning away from it. “…not a baby…”

The protest wasn’t what Yugi expected. “I know you’re not Zane. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want it.” Yugi made no move to remove the cup as Zane looked back at it again. It wouldn’t hurt for him to have some. Yugi figured he had stopped drinking it completely before, not truly weaning off of it. If he really didn’t want it, Yugi would give him warm milk or some juice.

Zane took the cup, drinking it slowly.

“Syrus twice a day, Zane once?” Yugi whispered to Joey.

The blond nodded. “I don’t know much about that weaning stuff, but it shouldn’t take too long now that they got some help and can do it properly.”

“I have to talk to Cyber. See when he found them and what he’s done with them.” Then he could really help them.

Getting the boys bathed and changed proved to be no challenge. Zane liked the water, though Syrus was hesitant about it. It was easier to bathe them together that time, and adding in a small amount of bubbles got Syrus over the hesitancy. Yugi chose the lavender ones, wanting them to calm down from the excitement of everything new. The detangler worked like a charm for their hair, and soon enough it was time to see their new room.

They looked around with wide eyes as Joey opened the door. “Ta-da!” The blond grinned. “Zane’s stuff’s on the left, and Sy gets the right.”

Yugi smiled, setting Syrus down so he could walk over to his bed. Kitty was sitting in the middle of it near the pillows. He remembered that Yamato had wanted to see Syrus walk, and watched him closely. He seemed a bit off balance, but it was nothing worrying. What caught Yugi’s attention was how Syrus seemed to feel for things more than look for them.

“Do you think Syrus could need glasses?” Yugi asked.

Joey watched the toddler. “Maybe. Could just need some more time to adjust.”

Yugi nodded, looking around the room. It was light, but simple in design for now. Once the boys were more comfortable, Yugi would help them decorate the walls. The beds were much the same, Zane with blue sheets, pillows, and blankets, Syrus’ were more turquoise colored. They could get new colors later.

Zane winced as he sat down on his bed, and Yugi walked over to him. He had grabbed the children’s Tylenol and a glass of water before they left the bathroom. “Here, this should help.” He opened the pack, handing one to Zane along with the water. “It’s a pain reliever. May take a little while to work.” Tomorrow, he would look at the bruise cream he bought to see how it worked and if it could help Zane.

Zane took the medicine and water before crawling under the covers and curling up, resting his head on the pillows. He looked shocked for a second, before reaching out his hand to tentatively touch the stuffed dragon that was beside him. He hugged it tightly, closing his eyes.

Yugi smiled. “My room’s right across the hall if you need anything.” He whispered, making sure Zane was comfortable before helping Syrus into bed.

The toddler hugged Kitty tightly, snuggled up under the blanket and yawning. Yugi tucked him in, noticing that Syrus was already fast asleep.

“Goodnight.” Yugi whispered, turning off the light. To his surprise, there was a nightlight plugged in, giving off a gentle moonlight-like glow. The boys wouldn’t have to worry about the dark then.

 

* * *

 

Joey was already resting on the bed when Yugi finally walked into his room. Feeling drained suddenly, Yugi fell into bed next to him. Sharing a bed was nothing new to them, it usually happened when they stayed the night at each other’s places. There was nothing awkward about it. Though it was a fun prank to pull on Atem when they still shared a body. The Pharaoh’s confused and alarmed look whenever he would wake up in control with Joey in the same bed as them was well worth the pouting he would do at being pranked.

“Alright Yugi. Talk.” Joey turned over on his side, looking at his best friend.

“I fucked up. Day one, and I fucked up.” Yugi sighed, unable to keep the tears away now that the boys were safe and in bed. “I knew it was going to be hard, but I should have _known_ that Zane was going to react badly.”

“You couldn’t have known.” Joey soothed. “He wanted to go with you, and he seemed okay. If he hadn’t, I would’ve said somethin’.”

“It was crowded, I should have just left…” Yugi turned over, hiding his face against Joey’s chest. “They’ve been through enough.”

Joey hugged Yugi, pulling him close and letting him cry. “It’s not gonna be perfect Yug’. Things are gonna go wrong. Hell, I’ve gone wrong with Serenity. She’s real sensitive to people yelling, and me an’ Tristan got into a yelling fight in front of her before. And we both know Kaiba’s messed up with Mokuba before.”

“Those kids have been through hell, but look at everythin’ you’re doing!” Joey smiled. “You adopted them, they’re smiling and happy, maybe for the first time ever. They got food, water, shelter, and a parent who’s caring ‘bout them.”

“It’s just not fair. They went through all that.” Yugi sniffled. “And from what Zane said, it’s because they have magic.”

“It’s not fair.” Joey agreed. “And maybe this is a sign for Kaiba to start using those machines of his to look for more kids with magic so they can be protected. But right now, Zane and Syrus are your focus. And you’re doing good.”

Yugi tried to keep his crying quiet. He didn’t want to risk waking the boys. It just wasn’t fair for them to go through so much. They were so young! If he ever met their father, magic be dammed, Yugi would kill him with his own hands. He was going to find out what happened to their mother too, he had to.

It was going to be hard on them for a while as they got used to things. Yugi would have to get used to being a parent, and the boys used to having one that actually cared and worried for them. Everything had happened so quickly, within the span of two days, and it was overload not only for the boys, but Yugi as well.

Once things slowed down, everything could get better. Yugi hoped they would slow down after the first week. In three days, he would take them to the hospital for the checkup with Doctor Yamato. And Grandpa would be calling over skype on Friday as he always did whenever he was away. The boys could get a first introduction to him then.

The hand rubbing Yugi’s back was beginning to help him relax. Yugi sighed, pushing Joey lightly. Once his best friend was on his back, Yugi rested his head on his chest.

They had tried for a relationship before, during Duelist Kingdom. It never felt right to them, though they were close enough that some mistook them as lovers. Their friendship was comfortable, and safe. They never had sex, but kissing was never shoved off as something they couldn’t do. Cuddling was the same. But Yugi’s interests were buried in the Egyptian sand, and Joey’s, Yugi suspected, were beginning to be caught by their dragon taming CEO.

“Would you believe me if I told you Atem and I got married before the Ceremonial Duel?” Yugi asked softly.

“Actually, I would.” Joey answered just a quietly. “You guys did go missing for a day. We just assumed that it was a sex marathon or somethin’.”

“We butchered three different ceremonies and combined them into one.” Yugi smiled at the memory. “He kept teasing me about being the Pharaoh’s queen.”

Joey laughed. “So…why’d ya do it? I thought Atem would protest because of…”

 _Because he was going to die?_ Yugi shook his head. “That’s why he wanted to do it. Because he was hiding secrets again…that will he left with Malik.” Atem’s magic was threaded into the will, making it appear as old as he truly was. No one could contest it. Not the Egyptian government, not historians, not archaeologists. The former Nameless Pharaoh had left everything he ever owned to Yugi.

“You two had to be married for that?”

“He wanted things to be proper.” Yugi said. “There was a wedding ring in one of the hidden rooms past where Grandpa found the Puzzle. He wanted me to be able to wear it.” And he did at times. It was on the same necklace as the pendant that held Atem’s name. He had left it with Yugi, along with everything else.

Honestly, Yugi had no idea what to do with most of what Atem left him. Even though the will gave him free reign, Atem told him to do with most of the stuff whatever Yugi could do in modern times to live a comfortable life. It felt wrong and awkward to though.

At least it kept it out of graverobber hands.

Now, Yugi thought, there was a reason to look through everything again. Anything on magic, on history, on Duel Monsters and Spirits, he would need it all to teach Zane and Syrus.

“You know, I just thought of something.” Yugi said. “Atem was Pharaoh, and I was queen- technically- until his death. Now I’m Pharaoh. And Zane’s my oldest son.”

Joey blinked. “He’s your heir.”

“It means nothing in this world, but to magic, to other dimensions, it still means something.”

“Man… That’s some pressure.” The blond yawned. “And that pressure can wait until later.”

“ _Way_ later.” Yugi agreed, feeling tired. “Take things one step at a time. Let him be a child, a son, before he even thinks of the word ‘heir’.”

“The heir and the spare.” Joey said sleepily. “’Cept you’d treat them both like heirs. You do got two titles after all. Maybe Sy’ll be a dueling genius, take the King of Games title from you.”

“Maybe.” He would worry over that later. _Let them be children. Keep all this stress and pressure off of them. Let them play nothing harder than chess, and let them live in peace for a while._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hong Kong to Taipei is around an hour, maybe an hour and half by plane. Blue Eyes Jet? Probably fifteen to thirty minutes. That’s how Seto is able to make it into this chapter.
> 
> I’m not calling them sippy cups. I’m sorry, but I giggle every time I type that.
> 
> Something in here might make some of you who are parents/godparents/older siblings etc. stop for a second and think. The whole bottle and formula thing. I’m a forensic psychologist, emphasis on the psychologist part. Both my psychology and sociology classes went into extensive detail about how important the first few years are. And weaning usually happens around 1-2 years of age (though the cultural studies part of my sociology class said some cultures let children wean naturally around 5? It’s been a while since we talked about it).
> 
> Given their upbringing, both boys are a bit late on that. Not to mention the only “adult” figure to help them was a Cyber Dragon. Which meant prioritizing some things. Potty training being one (so no more stealing diapers or anything) and language (both oral and bodily) being the other. My career may have me working soon with juries and criminals, but my main focus is on how the brain works. And developmental years are fascinating. 
> 
> That being said, if I put something in here that is way out of the ball park, feel free to tell me. I have no children of my own (Hence Yugi putting emphasis on getting parenting books.) And my memory of my childhood is…fragmented. I do remember developing anxiety and gymnophobia (fear of nudity/being naked) at a young age, Syrus is a little anxious ball anyway so I’m good there, plus he’s a little kid. He just has to act cute.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctors, worry, and Skype. AKA Cutness will resume in Chapter 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys have another visit with Doctor Yamato, more merging of Original and GX, and Grandpa gets to meet his great-grandsons! What could go wrong? Oh, right, everything could. Because the boys are starting to get comfortable.
> 
> Long chapter is long holy shit the middle part took up a lot. And that wasn’t even planned.

Yugi couldn’t help rolling his eyes at the private hospital Roland had driven him and the boys to.

At least they had taken a regular car, and not the limo. Seto really did have more money than he knew what to do with most days. And the building and limo were proof.

When Seto said ‘private hospital’, Yugi expected something small. Maybe two doctors working with Doctor Yamato and a nurse or two. A modest building, but filled with tech that Seto approved personally.

Not the mansion-like building Roland stopped in front of.

“He never does things simply does he.” Yugi sighed, looking back at the boys.

Zane wasn’t too happy about the booster seat, Yugi could see it in his eyes. But he gave no protests to it, still too scared to speak up about anything. _I know the feeling…You won’t be in one when you’re ten though._ It was one thing Yugi hated about being small.

Syrus seemed okay with the car and car seat. The way he held Kitty tightly gave away how nervous he was about the hospital. Since getting the stuffed cat, Syrus had rarely been without it. Yugi had started taking pictures, sending them to Seto and Joey. One picture went to Duke, when the boys found the Dungeon Dice Monsters board Yugi had.

“Mr. Kaiba only wants the best for his nephews.” Roland said simply. “Luckily, the new park in Hong Kong and Mokuba’s group project have him distracted, or he would be hovering.”

Yugi sighed again. “I’m honestly surprised we aren’t being tailed by a dragon…”

He thanked Roland for the ride, getting the boys out of the car and walking up to the hospital. Zane stayed close to Yugi, gripping his hand tightly. Syrus was being carried, and tried to move closer to Yugi.

“It’s alright.” He soothed. “We’re going to see Doctor Yamato. This is where he works.”

“It’s like _that_ place.” Zane muttered.

Yugi brought Zane closer, moving his hand to rest on his shoulder protectively. Over the past three days, he had been listening closely for anything the two said about the trafficking or their life before it. They hadn’t said much, but actions were sometimes louder.

They were afraid to do anything that may be a mistake. Yugi had to coax them out of their rooms in the morning for breakfast, and if he wasn’t nearby to keep an eye on them, they wouldn’t eat. The protest Zane gave the first full night about the formula never happened again, that worried Yugi. He made sure Zane knew he had a choice in the matter. It wouldn’t take long for him to be fine without it completely. Just enough time for his mind to be alright with it.

Syrus was alright most times. He acted like what Yugi thought a normal two-year-old would act like. Except there were no ‘terrible twos’ going on. He had a feeling that would come with a vengeance once Syrus was comfortable. There were times when Syrus would be quiet, and Yugi quickly realized that quiet meant hungry. His favorite was still strawberries, but Yugi managed to get him to try other fruits too.

Yugi would ask Doctor Yamato first, but he was thinking pizza would be okay for dinner that night. The boys were doing good with everything Yugi gave them to eat. Nothing made them sick, and they hadn’t turned down anything he made. Pizza was a bit heavier than his cooking, but it would be a good starting point to letting them try other foods.

The checkup came first. Walking inside, Yugi was relieved to see Yamato waiting.

“Just on time.” Yamato smiled. “How have things been?”

He led them back to an examination room as Yugi talked. “Everything’s alright. We’ve had a few bumps, and a panic attack, but we’re doing well.”

Yamato nodded. “Mr. Kaiba informed me of that. No worries, it’s good to push boundaries and see where the boundaries lay.”

The checkup started much like the last; taking temperatures, checking reflexes, the boys seemed alright with it. Yugi took the chance to check his email quickly, it had been going wild in the car.

He narrowed his eyes, four from Pegasus, six from Seto, one from his grandfather, and another two from Malik and Ryou. Seven were marked as urgent. Yugi looked up at the boys for a moment. They were doing alright, Syrus was laughing as Yamato talked to them.

Yugi opened the first email from Pegasus.

_Yugi. Keep the boys close, don’t let them out of your sight._

_I’ve discovered a complete deck, but I didn’t create the cards. Kaiba is sending someone he trusts to come get them and hide them._

_I’m not certain, but the boys may be connected to this._

Yugi looked up in alarm at Zane and Syrus. They were still okay, but Zane’s curious look told Yugi his magic had reacted to news as well. He guided it to wrap around them gently, his mind automatically locking away his alarm.

The second urgent email didn’t help matters.

_Sheppard, that name ring a bell? He is supposed to be the first headmaster of Kaiba’s duel academy. The cards are being hidden by him. I’ve alerted our acquaintances, they do not know where these cards came from either._

Yugi opened the one from Kaiba next, then from Malik, then Ryou, all reading much the same way.

_8 o’clock. Bring the boys._

_Yugi, there was a huge magical outburst here in Egypt. Don’t worry, everyone’s fine. Ishizu is worried though, it was more powerful than any of my outbursts. What’s this Pegasus is saying about dark cards?_

_It reacted. I can’t explain it but I felt it Yugi. Kaiba said it wasn’t the Cube’s doing. I’m going to Egypt to help Malik and see if Ishizu can come here to check it out._

His magic pulled away from the boys as worry began to seep into it. He didn’t want to scare them. _Dark cards?_ That shouldn’t be worrying everyone, dark was a common attribute. Most of Yugi’s own deck was dark. _Shadow cards?_ The way Pegasus was acting in his emails, it seemed like the best possible answer. Cards from the Shadow Realm, Yugi couldn’t hide a shudder.

Like the Orichalcos. Yugi could do without ever hearing that word again. That card was as dark as they come, relying on Shadows and a magic even more ancient. And the Pyramid of Light card, that was the last time Pegasus had seemed alarmed at any card.

There was nothing he could do, not without worrying the boys. Pegasus said to keep them close, and he would do just that. Syrus was beginning to look a little anxious, so Yugi turned off his disk, giving his youngest son a comforting smile and moving over to them.

“What’s next?” He asked the doctor.

“Well, I did want Syrus to walk so I could judge if we need to do x-rays for him too.” Yamato could tell something was going on. Yugi was grateful for the professionalism, the doctor wasn’t letting his own worry show in front of the boys.

“Come on Syrus.” Yugi stood up, standing on the opposite side of the room. “Come here.”

Yamato helped him off the examination table and watched as Syrus walked to Yugi. He was a bit unsteady, and seemed to favor his right side. “Not too bad. I don’t think we need x-rays. Just give him some time for the bruises to heal and let him walk more than you carry him.” Yamato chuckled. “Has he been walking like that much?”

Syrus was holding one hand out hesitantly. “Yes. I thought about getting him in for an eye appointment.” Yugi said, picking Syrus up again.

“I’d wait a week. It may just be the lighting change that has his eyes a bit off.”

The doctor had Zane do the same walking. “The nurse has the x-ray room set up. You’re walking fine, but I want to check your ribs.” Yamato said. “Then we can do the allergy testing and vaccinations, and you’ll be done.”

Yugi came back to the x-ray room with Zane, the nurse taking Syrus to sit with him until Yugi and Yamato joined them.

“Alright Zane, for this you just have to lie here.” Yamato instructed, helping Zane onto the table. “It’s completely painless. And your father and brother will be just over in that room.” He nodded to the windowed room, where Syrus was waving at them.

“It’ll be ok.” Yugi soothed, noticing the slight panic in Zane’s eyes. “It won’t take long.”

The x-rays only took five minutes, and the three followed Yamato back to the examination room. Zane didn’t leave Yugi’s side, the teen was worried he would have another panic attack. He sat on the examination table with the boys, bringing Zane close to his side.

“Now, the allergy testing will be quick.” Yamato smiled comfortingly. “The allergist informed me that most could be done at the same time as the rest of the blood work, so most of the food allergies have been ruled out.”

“That’s good.” Yugi sighed in relief. He had been worried, sticking to foods that were rare allergies just in case.

“We’ll just do a test for peanut butter and shellfish now. Seasonal allergies are not really a problem, simple medication can help with those.”

“What about bee stings?” Yugi asked.

“We’ll test that too.”

The skin tests, unfortunately, were with needles. To keep the boys calm, Yugi went through the tests as well. He knew he wasn’t allergic to peanut butter or shellfish, but he did have a mild reaction to bee stings.

Zane had no reaction to the three, but Syrus had the same mild reaction to bee stings. “Well, you two are clear to eat whatever without worry of allergic reactions.” Yamato grinned. “And the x-rays should be done, we’ll go over those before the vaccinations. I know you’ll want to go home after those.”

He left to get the x-rays and Yugi leaned against the wall that the table was pressed against. He was still worried about the others, and about what they had said. Seto would have to answer a lot of questions later. He would bring the boys at eight like the email requested.

Zane moved closer to Yugi, tucked against his side. “My side hurts.” He said softly.

“I know.” Yugi pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. “As soon as we’re back home, I’ll give you some medicine for it.” He had seen the flash of pain when Yamato told Zane to lie on his side for the x-rays. It added to Yugi’s worry, and he had almost asked Yamato to stop the x-rays.

That worry doubled at the look Yamato had as he brought in the x-rays. It was worry, pity, and rage mixed into one, though it only showed in his eyes. He put the x-rays up, turning on the board.

“No lifting or carrying over five pounds. No walking for long periods.” He said first. “Here, are three fractures to his vertebrosternal ribs.” The doctor pointed them out. Yugi frowned. They didn’t look too bad. “This is almost a break.” He pointed closer to the sternum. “But what’s worrying is the fracture closer to his spine.”

Yamato pointed to the other x-ray he brought in. “It’s dangerously close to his T4, the fourth vertebrae in the thoracic part of his spine.”

That wasn’t good. If he had broken it… “Is there anything that can be done?”

“Not for someone his age.” Yamato sighed. “Mr. Kaiba’s working on a machine that can fix factures and breaks in any bone save for the spine, but it’s still in preliminary testing. No one under twenty-one or over forty-five can test it.”

The worry was pushed aside with a fierce protective wave, along with anger. Whoever had did that to Zane was going to pay for it. “No walking for long periods, no lifting.”

“And I hate to tell patients this, but try to sleep just on your right side Zane.” Yamato added. “I can prescribe something a little stronger for the pain if it’s needed.”

Zane shook his head. “No more medicine. I’m okay.”

“Alright, but if it gets to be too much or gets worse, tell Yugi and he’ll tell me.”

He left again to get the vaccinations and Yugi found himself having a harder time calming down. No wonder the Cyber Dragons were so protective, Zane was seriously injured. He _had_ to talk to them. He pulled both boys closer, closing his eyes. _I can’t let them get hurt like that again._

His eyes opened as Yamato walked in, and the doctor paused for a moment. Yugi shook his head, his magic was humming, closer to the surface but not snapping yet. He had to calm down.

“We’re going to split these up over the course of the next three months.” Yamato said, setting the tray he was carrying down. It was kept away from the boys, experience telling the doctor that once things got started, having the tray nearby risked it being spilled. “The boys have no records, so we’re going to be giving them everything. We can’t do them all at once, that would make them sick.”

“We’ll do six each today.”

At the sight of the shots, both boys’ eyes widened. Syrus whimpered, trying to press even closer to Yugi, and even Zane seemed scared. “No!” The oldest protested.

Yugi blinked in surprise. No one liked shots, but the boys were genuinely terrified. “What happened Zane?” He whispered.

“It hurt…those are bad. Cyber couldn’t stop it.” Zane said in the same quiet tone, his voice wavering. “I don’t want to. No, please. We’ll be good…”

The tears he thought he got all out a few days ago came back. Yugi pulled the boys closer. “These aren’t the same.” He told them. “These are to keep you from getting sick. They help you.”

Zane shook his head. Yugi felt terrible, they _needed_ the vaccinations.

**:Take medicine.:**

Yugi looked up past Yamato, seeing where the voice had come from. It wasn’t Cyber or Silver, the Cyber Dragon behind the doctor was calmer, looking at Yugi and the boys.

 **:Is from us. Is good.:** It hissed.

 **:Not good:** Yugi looked at Zane in surprise. **:Is bad!:**

“Did you know he could do that?” Yamato asked. Yugi shook his head.

“Not even Seto can speak dragon.” Yugi looked from Zane to who he assumed to be Chrome. “How?”

 **:I teach. Hatchling, is good. No argue.:** Chrome hissed, nosing Yamato. **:You give medicine. Oldest hatchling first.:**

“He said to give the shots to Zane first.”

“No!” Zane protested still. **:Not taking!:**

 **:Are taking. Bad hatchling argue. Good hatchling listen.:** The dragon took up most of the room, curling up to try and make herself smaller. **:Listen to sire-human.:**

 _There’s no way Seto is going to believe this._ Yugi thought. He was prepared to cave if the boys continued to plead for no shots. Yet Chrome had appeared, ordering the boys and tricking them.

 **:Medicine is from me. Is good.:** Chrome snapped her jaws. **:I hurt you?:**

**:No:**

**:Then take.:**

Zane closed his eyes, but didn’t protest further. Yamato was quick with the vaccines, not wanting to give Zane the chance to start arguing again. He did hiss at one.

“Zane!” Yugi was not going to translate what he had said. “Chrome!”

 **:I not teach him. Silver teach that. Silver bad dragon.:** Chrome denied.

“Do not use that word until you’re older, and not around Syrus.” Yugi told him. He was honestly surprised there was a dragon equivalent for it, given the versatility of the word.

Zane muttered something. Once the shots were done, he curled up against Yugi’s side again.

 **:No, no, no, no.:** Syrus hissed, smiling. Yugi chuckled. The toddler was mimicking his brother and Chrome.

“I’ve heard that one quite a lot today.” Yamato chuckled as well. “I’m assuming that’s the sound for ‘no’?”

Chrome stayed as Syrus was next to get the shots. He whimpered at the pain of them, but seeing that Zane hadn’t made any more complaints on it had calmed him down.

“I have so many questions.” Yugi said to Chrome.

 **:Will answer. Later. Must help magician first.:** The dragon said, bowing to Yugi before disappearing.

“Is that common? They just appear, help out, and leave?” Yamato asked.

Yugi nodded. “More than you know.”

“And with a language all their own, that some can understand it seems. Fascinating.” He moved the tray, putting the used needles into the proper disposal bag. “Well, we’re all done here. I suggest making that eye appointment for Syrus if he doesn’t get better within a week, Zane should sleep on his right side and be careful of his left side. And watch for any negative effects from the shots. There shouldn’t be any, but you can never be too careful.”

“Anything dietary I should keep away from or add in?” Yugi asked.

Yamato shook his head. “Honestly, the more calories the better right now. Just be careful of foods too rich or greasy, that may make them sick since they are not used to it.”

They talked for a few minutes more about Yugi what should or shouldn’t be doing. It was a simpler list than he originally thought it would be. The doctor gave the clear for the boys to try pizza, and soon they were back in the car, Roland driving them.

“Seto wanted to talk to me and the boys.” Yugi said. “So I guess we’re going to the mansion.”

Roland nodded. “It’s the safest place. Mr. Kaiba is a bit on edge right now, security’s been tightened.”

Yugi sighed. He had thought about it while the boys were getting the vaccines. The others had to be overreacting. Ever since Seto took the Quantum Cube to study it, things had been quiet. The Cube seemed to work much like the Puzzle had; sealing any dimensional portals not opened by a user of the Shadows. And hooked up to the Duel Link system, it’s reach was global and beyond.

It was hidden away in the KC space station. Yugi was sure that blanket of protection stretched a few hundred miles into space. Nothing could get through without them knowing. For cards to suddenly appear without _anyone_ knowing until they were already made? It had to be impossible.

Violet eyes looked into the mirror to check on the boys. Syrus was hugging Kitty tightly, he had forgotten to bring her into the doctor’s office with them, and Zane was looking at one of the school books that had come in. They were safe. That mattered most.

The ringing of a cell phone brought Yugi’s attention to Roland. “Mr. Kaiba? Yes. Yes I have them with me…the labs? I can bring them.”

“What is it?” Yugi asked.

“Change of plans. Seems Mr. Kaiba has something you need to see.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh Ra…”

Yugi took a step back from the large window, eyes widening. He was glad Mokuba had taken Zane and Syrus to Seto’s office. He didn’t want them anywhere near the lab. Hell, the office was too close for his liking.

As soon as they had arrived at Kaiba Corps, Mokuba had taken Zane and Syrus. The smile on his face was strained with worry and fear, and the security that arrived with him didn’t help calm Yugi any. Thee dragons, the Alternate White Dragons, were following him. They snapped and growled at each other, much more immature than their older siblings. With those three prowling around, everyone kept away from Mokuba. Even though they were under the assumption they were only holographs.

But for those three to be guarding Mokuba, it meant the older ones were all with Seto. Yugi’s disk activated as he followed Roland to the lab, realizing the familiar path was taking him to the same room that he had first summoned Gandora in. It was underground, and at ground level were floor-to-ceiling windows. Magical dampeners surrounded the room, and Yugi knew from experience just how effective they were.

The growl that came from the room made Yugi hesitate to get any closer. It was a warning, one that was answered by three other growls.

Kisara turned her head when Yugi came closer, catching Seto’s attention as well. “Finally.”

“We were at the doctor’s. Everything’s better than we hoped for by the way, but Zane’s really hurt.” Yugi said, coming up to the window.

What was being held in the room struck the window. Forcing the whisper from Yugi and making him step away. “What…what is that?”

It wasn’t a Duel Monster they had seen before, but it was clearly a dragon. A mad dragon. Yugi reached out to touch the glass, gasping at the shock that came from it.

“It’s causing that.” Seto pulled Yugi by the shirt collar away from the window. “As for what it is, meet the Cyberdark Dragon.” He nodded to a briefcase by his side. “The card’s in there, along with the rest of the deck. I was looking through it, to catalogue the cards before Shepard takes them. And that thing showed up.”

Yugi peered into the room. The dragon seemed to be prowling around, searching for… something. Yugi wasn’t in any hurry to guess at what that was.

A crew of scientists were there with Kaiba, each taking different readings and studying the dragon. Each and every one of them seemed scared to get anywhere near the room. “What are it’s effects, exactly?”

“It’s a fusion monster. Seems that deck has three Cyberdark monsters and no shortage on ways to summon this.” Seto said. “Pegasus sent me the data, it’s pretty weak on it’s own. But it takes strength from monsters in the graveyard.”

“That doesn’t sound too dangerous. It’s on it’s own, right?”

“With the three used for it’s fusion, it’s only at 1300.” Seto told him. “Be glad none of those are dragons. It can take one to use as power and a shield.”

Yugi nodded slowly. It was weak, so why was everyone so wary? “It’s giving off a lot of power for a weaker monster.”

“That’s the thing, it’s not the monster itself everyone’s on edge about.” Seto nodded to Kisara. “If it was, I would’ve let her handle it. But these cards are drenched in Shadows. The case is dampening like the room, and it’s barely enough to hold the idle cards. It’s not a problem of power, but magic.”

And Yugi had the most out of the users still in Japan. “You’re stretching your limit thin Seto, having all six out at once.”

“I’m fine.” He held up his wrist, showing the glowing band. “It’s pulling from the Cube. That’s how I’m keeping this thing here still.”

“It tried to jump?”

Seto nodded sharply. “I don’t know how. But it tried, which means the only way it’s leaving that room is if it’s back in the cards.”

The dragon roared, shaking the glass windows. Yugi shivered. “Special effects then?”

“That’s why I had you brought here.”

 _Right._ That meant getting into the room. Seto led the way to the door. It was underground, like much of the room was. The hallway was full of dampeners as well. There would be no standing in it to do a quick summon.

Summoning outside of a duel took more magic. Yugi stuck to the cards he knew well for it, and ones that would take only a small amount outside of a duel. But the one he had to summon would take a lot more than magic. The mark on his shoulder was beginning to burn.

“Turn on the dual interface system.” Seto ordered. Yugi nodded, detaching the headpiece from his wrist and putting it on. It fit snuggly on his ear, holding out to just in front of his forehead. The holographic screen appeared, giving Yugi different readings of the surroundings. It would give him information on the dragon as well.

“Yugi. I think Pegasus was right, about Zane and Syrus being connected to these cards.” Seto stopped in front of the door. “Think about it, their deck is a Cyber deck, the only Cyber deck. And now these Cyberdark cards show up?”

“We can talk about it after this thing is calmed down.” Yugi said shortly. He didn’t want them to have any ties to the new deck. “I’m ready.”

Seto nodded, inputting the key to unlock the door. As soon as it opened, Yugi walked in.

The Cyberdark Dragon was on the other side of the room, and Yugi finally got a clear look at it. It’s wings were segmented, and looked sharp. A long body, one that reminded him of the Cyber Dragons. The face was almost like Slifer’s, and the arm- _leg?_ \- like appendages looked like they were made to hold whatever they grabbed in place while the two wires would hook into their prey.

It seemed to finally realize it wasn’t alone in the room, and lunged. Yugi dove out of the way, ears ringing at the roar the dragon gave. The system on his arm locked onto it, giving Yugi information on it.

 _It’s attack…3700?! Seto said 1300!_ Yugi gasped, moving out of the way again as the dragon tried to swipe at him with it’s tail. _How did it get stronger? It hasn’t been in a duel! Or…is this what Seto meant by it being more about magic?_ Was the dragon gaining power through magic?

The air around it was heavy with Shadow Magic. The dark aura around it was similar to what Yugi had seen in Marik and Bakura before. _No matter. We can handle this._

He focused his magic, dodging the dragon’s tail again. Once there was an opening, he released the magic, holding out his arm. “Gandora! Stop Cyberdark Dragon!”

Darkness erupted from the disk on his wrist, coating the area around him. It swirled, driving the dragon back as it shrieked, trying to get at it’s chosen prey.

The duel against Diva, a monster could not be summoned with more attack points than it’s original point value. But magic was able to do so much more. There was a heavy cost to it. Pegasus had put down the max value that could be summoned without magic, making the game playable to all. With magic, Yugi found, that limit could be pushed.

Pushing too far would result in dire consequences.  Every Game had it’s limits. But it was so much more than a game. The monsters were real, could eat, breathe, could _grow_.

 _We just have to match it’s power. 3700 from zero. And no other cards out to destroy._ It would be pushing the limit. Four thousand five hundred was as far as Yugi could go before blacking out. How Seto discovered they could do something like that, or how he even thought to test it, was beyond him. It was handy to know, but just from doing it once, Yugi had felt weak for a month afterward. The cost was too much to do it repeatedly, and all five agreed that there would be heavy penalties for doing it in a regular duel. Even for one extra point, it was cheating and pointless.

The Cyberdark Dragon lashed out at Yugi again, only to be tossed aside as Gandora appeared.

 _:What’s with this thing? Has someone been experimenting with bringing night terrors to life?:_ Gandora growled, standing guard over Yugi.

 _:Not quite. It’s a Cyberdark Dragon. Attack power 3700, up from it’s original 1000. It’s drawing power from somewhere, we just need to force it back to its card.:_ Yugi explained, trying to even his breathing as his magic poured into the destructive dragon. Already, his magic was straining. And it was tugging on his life. The feeling was, unfortunately, familiar. The duel against Anubis, and all the Shadow Duels, he felt it then too. _:It’s using Shadows.:_

_:So losing isn’t an option.:_

Gandora roared, catching the Cyberdark Dragon off guard. It wasn’t expecting the elder dragon to show. Once their power was matched, Gandora attacked. Yugi moved to the wall, leaning heavily against it and panting as he watched. Both dragons seemed happy to forego firepower and special abilities, biting and clawing at each other.

It would be a tie. That was all Yugi could give. His legs were already feeling as if they would give out, and his shoulder felt as if it were on fire. Thankfully, Gandora did not drag things out. Getting the upper hand once, he fired one quick burst of light at the other dragon, destroying them both.

The second the light and darkness vanished, the door opened again. Seto and Roland were the first through it, the brunette barely making it to Yugi before the smaller collapsed. Yugi leaned on Seto, panting from the strain and clutching his shoulder.

“The boys…can’t see this…” He ground out.

“You’re just suffering magical exhaustion. They need to see you, Mokuba said they’re both worried about you.” Seto left no room for arguments as he lifted Yugi, one arm behind his knees, the other around his back. “It’s power shifted when you walked in there, how the hell did that happen?”

“Don’t know. Get the cards away.”

“Already done.” Seto muttered, carrying Yugi out of the room.

 

* * *

 

 

The look the boys’ faces was one Yugi didn’t want to see again. Their heads turned as soon as Seto walked into his office, and the fear and worry was the last thing Yugi saw before falling unconscious.

Then, it felt like he was floating. He couldn’t move, even breathing felt like a chore. His eyes stayed closed even as light flashed around him.

 _Aibou._ He knew that voice. Only one person had ever called him that.

 _Yami?_ The name slipped into his mind. _Atem…_

_It’s alrig- -you must n- -ave them- -easts more powerf- -ods._

_Atem? I can’t- can’t focus._

_Sleep. I’m sorry, Aibou._

Sleep sounded good. Yugi was tired, not expecting such a simple battle to take so much out of him. There was so much that he felt was odd though. Like the shock that dragon gave, or the sudden power boost, or-

Or Atem’s voice.

Yugi gasped, sitting up suddenly.

“Daddy!”

His head whipped to the side, seeing Syrus sitting on Seto’s lap as the man worked. Yugi groaned, everything seemed too bright. His head felt heavy, and so did his legs. The sleeping five-year-old on them gave reason to why they felt heavy. The boys had missed nap time to go to the doctor after all, it was no wonder Zane was asleep.

“Daddy ‘wake!”

Seto finally looked up from his laptop. “Yugi.” He moved Syrus, letting the toddler walk over to Yugi on his own as he followed. “About time you woke up.”

“What time is it?” Yugi asked, lying down again. He had forgotten just how comfortable the couch in Seto’s office was. The taller’s jacket was draped over him like a blanket, his own gray coat being used as his pillow along with a white one that belonged to Mokuba.

“Six. Zane refused to go home without you, and Syrus copied him when he started _hissing_ at me.” Seto said.

“Silver’s fault.” Yugi muttered. “They’re bilingual, they hissed at Yamato too.” Just sitting up had taken most of his energy.

Seto shook his head. “There has to be more to it than that. I’ve been trying to learn for months.”

“They’ve had years.”

Syrus climbed up onto the couch, sitting on Yugi’s stomach. Yugi wanted to hug him, let him know that he was okay, but he didn’t have the strength to. It was then that he noticed the tube hooked up to his arm. He followed it, dark violet eyes looking at the bag hanging on the hook near the couch. He tried to read it.

“Vitamins, electrolytes, a spell card or two.” Seto nodded to the bag. “You’re stuck here until it’s empty.”

“Daddy o’tay?”

Yugi looked at Syrus. “…he’s calling me daddy.”

Seto nodded again. “He’s been doing that since you blacked out. Zane called you ‘dad’.”

And the tears returned. Yugi hoped they would stop at some point, he hated all the crying. But it was the first time the boys even addressed him. And they had decided on calling him their parent.

“Your grandfather is going to be calling soon, by the way.” Seto added. “I had to inform him of what was going on, Pegasus wanted his input on how to handle the cards.”

Yugi groaned. It wasn’t exactly how he wanted his grandfather to meet his sons. There was going to be even more worrying with Yugi’s sudden black out as well. That meant the search would probably be cut short.

“Can’t cut the search short.” Yugi sighed. “We need the Items. Something’s going on.”

“It won’t be.” Seto went back to his desk. “Pegasus said nothing short of a death in the family is excusing anyone from searching. He’s even recruiting more people in case someone has already found an Item.”

“Who else?”

“Some of those Orichalcos goons, they’re checking the black markets for anything matching the descriptions.” Seto said. “Rebecca Hawkins was informed, and she and her father are checking with other archaeologists worldwide to see if anything’s come up. I believe he also has Mai’s help. She’s checking the higher social circles.”

Everyone who had been around the Items before. They would know what to look for, Yugi relaxed.

“There’s a few new names on this list as well.” Seto pulled it up on his laptop, putting it onto the larger screen in the room for Yugi to see. “Shepard of course, I don’t suppose you know anyone named Banner?”

Yugi shook his head.

“He’s going to be one of the professors at the Academy. He’s an alchemist, though that isn’t to be public knowledge. He’ll be of great help, and so will Pharaoh, his cat. That damn thing’s smarter than any other animal in this dimension.” Seto said. “I’ve given him Crowler to work with as well. Figured if they’re going to teach at the Academy, they need desensitized to magic.”

“All this…we don’t even know…if the Items have their magic still.” Yugi felt a big stronger, being more awake than he first was. Zane was beginning to stir as well, just as Syrus was beginning to nod off.

“The Ring did. As did the Puzzle, so the others should be in working order.” Seto pointed out. “And that could mean trouble if the Rod falls into the wrong hands.”

The Key as well, Yugi frowned. Shaadi used it to get into his head, into his soul. That power in the hands of someone who had no idea what they were doing spelled trouble.

Shaadi…the spirit himself was trouble. What Diva had said about him, mentor or not, it was his fault Ryou had suffered under Bakura. He let a child get their hands on the Ring! Yugi hadn’t even seen the Puzzle until he reached high school. When they did find the Items, Yugi would keep Zane and Syrus away from them.

“You may want to sit up. Your grandfather’s supposed to call in five minutes.”

He didn’t know if he could. Even with Zane moving off of his legs, Yugi still felt heavy. Syrus was awake again at least, and moved with his brother so Yugi could try to sit up.

It took longer than he had hoped, but eventually he managed to. He leaned on the arm of the couch, looking over himself. His jacket was a bit dusty from the explosion the dragons caused, but nothing bad. His hands were shaking, after missing dinner, it was to be expected. “Can we get pizza?” Yugi asked Seto. “I promised the boys they could try it.”

“I’ll have Mokuba order it.” Seto said, sending a message through his disk. He walked over to hand Yugi a water bottle.

The bottle was half empty soon after. Yugi hadn’t realized just how thirsty he was. He felt much better afterwards.

“Daddy o’tay?” Syrus repeated the question.

“I’m alright Sy.” Yugi smiled gently, holding out his arms to Syrus. Syrus smiled, crawling onto his lap.

“What happened?” Zane asked.

“I had to use a lot of magic to do something for Seto.” Yugi said as Zane moved closer. “I must’ve used a bit too much.”

“We were scared.” Zane said, leaning on Yugi. “You didn’t wake up.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you Zane.” Yugi pulled him closer. “I’ll be more careful.”

The large screen on the opposite wall flickered as the call came through. _Well. It’s now or never._ Yugi thought.

“Yugi! Are you alright? All Kaiba would tell us here was that there was a Monster problem!”

The first person on the screen wasn’t his grandfather. Instead, it was Malik, with Ryou looking concerned beside him.

“Is the damn mic even on Ryou?”

“It is Malik! Yugi! What happened?”

“Boys! Crowding Yugi won’t help.”

Yugi smiled sheepishly as the two were pulled back into chairs. His grandfather was sitting between them.

“Hi Grandpa, Malik. Ryou, how’d you get there so quick? You just sent that email this morning!” Yugi said.

“Have you ever tried shadow travel Yugi? It’s a lot easier than flying.” Ryou answered. “I remembered _him_ using it a few times, it’s pretty handy.”

“I bet.”

Malik blinked in confusion as he stared at Yugi. “Uhh…am I seeing things again? Or does Yugi have kids?”

Yugi chuckled, looking at Syrus and Zane, who were puzzled, staring back at the screen. _Right, they don’t know about video calls._

“Yugi, who are these two little ones?” Solomon asked.

“Well…the littlest one is Syrus. And this is Zane.” He moved to get more comfortable, pulling Zane closer and being careful of the bruises. Seto stood up from his desk, excusing himself from the room.

“This is for you to tell, not me.” He whispered to Yugi before leaving.

“They’re adorable!” Ryou grinned. “But names aren’t the full story Yugi.”

“They kind of do. I mean…I guess their last names would be Mutou now?”

Three pairs of eyes grew wide at that. “ _What?!_ ”

The sheepish grin was back. “Surprise?”

Malik was back in front of the camera again. “When the _he-_ “

“Finish that and I’ll finish you!” Solomon protested. “No swearing in front of children!”

“When the heck did you have kids?!”

“Um, never?” Yugi answered. “I adopted them…”

“Come on.” Ryou dragged Malik away from the camera. “I think Kaiba has the right idea. Let Yugi and Grandpa talk, then we can question him.”

Malik protested as he was pulled out of the room, shouting for his older siblings. Once the door was shut, everything was quiet for a few moments. Zane was looking at Yugi, slightly concerned. _Welcome Zane, to the oddest family you could ever be adopted into._ Yugi thought.

Syrus seemed to be in a staring contest with Solomon. “Daddy, hair like you?”

Solomon looked at his grandson. “Not even a full month, and you have children who call you their father.” He smiled, chuckling.

“They only started today.” Yugi smiled too. He knew he had nothing to worry about, his grandfather was great with children. The others had begun to joke about the game shop soon going into the day care business too.

“What happened today Yugi? There was a sudden magic spike here and Pegasus seemed to be scared of something and Kaiba said you fainted.”

“Ah, it was nothing. I handled it.” He waved off the concern. “And the fainting was just me using too much magic.” He held up his arm, revealing where the IV was still attached. “I’ll be right as rain soon.”

“That’s good.” Solomon nodded. “You had me worried for a second. Now, tell me about my great-grandsons.”

Yugi was glad the talk changed topic. Solomon always seemed to know when Yugi wanted to keep something a secret, though Yugi knew he would be investigated about it later. He told his grandfather everything, from finding Zane and Syrus, to the doctor visits, to the shopping trip.

“Syrus loves strawberries.”

“And Kitty!” Syrus held up the stuffed cat.

“And Kitty.” Yugi added with a laugh. “The only time he’s put her down was at the doctor’s. She waited in the car and kept Roland company. Zane seems happy with the stuffed dragon someone got him too.”

Zane was looking at his deck, but looked up when Yugi said his name.

“He seems more interested in Duel Monsters than you ever were.” Solomon laughed. “What sort of deck do you have Zane?”

“A Cyber Dragon deck.” Zane replied.

Solomon looked shocked. “So that’s where those cards ran off to. Well, I always said that the cards choose who they want to stay with. The Heart of the Cards always chooses who is best fit for the deck! Though, with those Cyberdark cards…”

“Grandpa!” Yugi protested. “They don’t need to know about that.”

“Oh yes.” Solomon agreed. “Of course, like any good parent Yugi. Protecting your sons is most important.”

“It is. So they don’t need to know about that.” He repeated. _It has nothing to do with them…not yet._

“Well, what about school? Have you gotten them enrolled?” Solomon questioned.

Yugi shook his head. “I’m going to homeschool them for now. Zane was never enrolled in school and Syrus is too young. I’ll get Zane caught up and Syrus started, then we’ll see. But Seto’s pretty much guaranteed their spots at Duel Academy once they turn fifteen.”

“He’s still going through with that then.” Solomon noted.

“It’s set to open in three years.” Though the boys wouldn’t be joining for another ten, twelve for Syrus.

Solomon nodded slowly. “It may be a good way to see if young duelists have magic too.”

That was an idea Seto had passed by Yugi. The Academy was bound to attract every young duelist, it was why the price was set so low and scholarships were plentiful. He wanted everyone to have a chance at getting in, and finding magic in Zane and Syrus, along with Joey’s protests, made him remember that not every duelist could afford a high cost school. And some of the ones that couldn’t may be magic users.

“So…you’re really okay with all this?” Yugi asked hesitantly. He knew his grandfather was, but he had to hear it.

“I think you’re a bit young to be a parent. But, these boys needed someone. And that someone’s you, Yugi.” Solomon told him. “You never make decisions lightly, and when you do make decisions, they’re usually the right ones. So I trust you on this one.”

“Thanks Grandpa.” He gave a relieved sigh.

Syrus looked up at him. “Daddy, hungry.”

“You may want to get some food for the boys.” Solomon laughed. “And some flash cards. Sounds like Syrus may have some speech problems. Flash cards are how I got you over your speech problems.”

“I had problems?” Yugi asked.

Solomon nodded. “When you were around Syrus’ age. The cards can help Zane with reading too.”

“I’ll pick some up.” Yugi promised.

The door to the office opened soon after, Mokuba appearing with boxes of pizza. “Wasn’t sure what the boys would want to try, so I got a few different ones.” He grinned over one of the boxes.

Yugi pouted. Mokuba was looking _over_ the five boxes he had. It wouldn’t be long before he was towering over Yugi too.

Solomon laughed again at Yugi’s pout. “Realizing that you’re cursed to be shorter than your friends still? Well, I won’t keep you boys from dinner. I should go make sure the boys here aren’t causing too many disturbances. I think we’re close to finding something.”

“You’ll call if you do?”  Yugi moved Syrus and Zane as Mokuba set the boxes on the table in front of the couch.

“Of course.”

A short goodbye was said, and Seto walked in just as the video call stopped. “I figured juice would be good for the boys.” He was carrying drinks for them all. Coffee for himself, a soda for Mokuba, one for Yugi, and two lidded cups of juice.

“Thanks.” Yugi said, taking his and the boys’ drinks. Mokuba was already at the pizzas, getting out a slice of each and cutting them smaller.

“I remember my big bro doing this.” He said, looking at Seto. “Because he said me with a knife was a scary thought.”

“You were a terror. If I gave you a knife you were liable to stab someone.” Seto retorted. “And you were seven the last time I had to cut pizza for you.”

Yugi smiled, taking the plates from Mokuba. “Alright. Now, there’s a lot here. But don’t worry if you can’t finish it. Stop if you feel full.” He said to Zane and Syrus.

Zane nodded, taking the plate and looking at the pizza. Syrus was less hesitant, grabbing a plain cheese one and eating it. Zane watched his brother before picking up a piece of his own.

“It feels weird.” He said, holding the piece.

“It does at first.” Yugi said. “But that’s what napkins are for, to get the grease off of your fingers.”

He took a slice of pepperoni for himself, looking in wonder at Mokuba’s plate. “You really are a teenager now.” It had two slices of each pizza on it. Yugi remembered when he and Joey could go through five pizzas like it was nothing. Joey could _still_ go through five pizzas. Yugi could go through three if he was really hungry. But magical exhaustion always left him feeling as if eating and hunger were more of an option than a need. He knew if he didn’t eat something though, Seto wouldn’t let him leave. It wouldn’t be the first time the brunette did that.

The mood in the room grew lighter, pizza seemed to have a way of doing that. And finally, they had found a food Zane would protest against.

Pepperoni. The five-year-old glared at it like the piece he had was going to attack. Eventually, he and Syrus ended up trading, the rest of the plain cheese pieces Syrus had, for the pepperoni ones Zane had.

“It tastes bad.” He complained. “I don’t want it.”

“I don’t blame you.” Seto said from his desk. He had stuck to the cheese pizza, and a slice of the supreme that had no pepperoni on it.

Yugi was shocked when Zane ate the supreme piece he had without comment. It looked as if Mokuba had cut it to have the most things on it, save for pepperoni. Syrus wouldn’t touch his supreme pieces.

Yugi didn’t mind the supreme, so long as there were no olives or onions. Those two just did not belong on pizza. His favorite was cheese, but pepperoni was what he usually had. He hadn’t liked it at first, but Joey had a habit of only ordering pepperoni on their game nights, so it had grown on him.

Watching the boys, Yugi felt another pang of sadness. What would have happened if he hadn’t found them? There were a few answers, and each one, Yugi didn’t want to dwell on.

His thoughts drifted to the Cyberdark Dragon instead. Even his grandfather seemed to think it was connected to the boys. Could it be? They had the Cyber Dragons, was that dark dragon connected to them? Yugi looked down at his plate.

And Atem…Yugi wanted to know what he was saying.

 _I must what? And who’s them? He was talking about powerful somethings._ Yugi frowned. _Was I just dreaming it? Atem’s gone._

But why did his words have Yugi feeling so uneasy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I was reading though this and noticed something myself. The boys have a bad reaction to needles here, but not while blood was being drawn. For Syrus it's explainable with his bad eyesight. Zane just hadn't seen the needle and syringe with the blood being drawn, Yugi distracted him.
> 
> DSoD gave a lot of new cards to work with. The Blue Eyes Alternate dragons are gonna be called the younger siblings of the originals.
> 
> AND MORE PLOT! I’m rewatching GX as I write this, and I’m going to be adding in some of the backstory plot from it. Luckily, it all fits in perfectly. I’m also changing up some things. Things are going to get very crazy very quickly when the second main plot picks up.
> 
> I never really set up what part of the year this takes place in…let’s put it in May.
> 
> If you’re confused about the magic, don’t worry. I meant for that to happen. It’ll all get explained once the boys begin to learn about magic.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teaching, time, and magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: I AM COUNTING BONDS BEYOND TIME AS CANON. This has MAJOR plot relevance later. Jaden isn’t listed on the character list for this story for nothing!
> 
> Back to the cute! For the first part of this chapter anyway.
> 
> And news about this story. Already, it’s looking like it’s going to be 30+ chapters, just for the stuff BEFORE GX. And that 30 is leaning closer to 50. There’s a lot I have planned for this to set it up to be the best I can do. And to set up for the sequel which will be basically a GX remake. Because the Main Plot (that is going on along with Adoption) will have a major effect on all of GX.
> 
> We’re skipping ahead a few weeks, and next chapter will be a few months worth of skipping. Day-to-day stuff is fun, but there are plots to be advanced! I don’t want anyone getting bored here. Even though I’m having fun with little Syrus. Zane, I’m trying to find a balance between his Season 1 and a child’s personality. So it’s been a bit bumpy at times. I want him to trust Yugi, but I know that takes time. Yugi is seen as safe for him though.

He knew there would be difficulties, Yugi just didn’t expect this many.

A few weeks had passed since the appearance of the Cyberdark Dragon. There was no word on where the deck was, or even if it had appeared again. No news was good news, he guessed. The deck itself had been named the Underworld Deck. But the worrying thing was that once they had looked over the cards, they knew it was an incomplete deck.

Yugi shoved those thoughts away, looking back at the book in front of him. Zane was sitting next to him at the table, Syrus on the floor in the living room with Kitty and the two Kuriboh.

They had hit their first snag in homeschooling. As much as Zane liked the books, he couldn’t read them.

Yugi had expected something like that. He discovered that fact, that Zane had tried to hide, on their second day of seeing where Zane was with core subjects. He knew a few written words, but only the ones he was used to seeing.

There was another problem too, with Yugi trying to balance work and time with the boys outside of learning and the actual teaching time. The first week had been horrible. Yugi missed running the shop, but it was impossible. He was too worried about the boys, and bringing them down was out of the question. Most days, the shop had three or four times where the crowd was larger. He wouldn’t make Zane go through that, and he knew sending them upstairs would just upset them.

Joey and Mokuba stepped in to help, along with Mahaad and Mana. Between the four of them, and Mana’s sisters, the shop was still open every day. Yugi would go down to help when he could. Once the boys were more comfortable being left alone in the house, and Yugi was more comfortable leaving them, he would take over full time again.

It was Chocolate and Kiwi down there now. The two Magician Girls were excited to run the shop without Mahaad breathing down their necks and micromanaging. He was just worried about them. And worried about the shop.

 “Alright Zane, what’s this word?”

“Cat.” Zane replied, looking at the word Yugi was pointing to. “Dog. Y…Yard?”

Yugi nodded with a smile. “That’s right. How about this one?”

“…Rain?”

“Yes.” He was doing well with the book. The flash cards were helping.

There was the difficulty of language barriers as well. Zane seemed more at ease learning English. Yugi could teach him it, growing up with both Japanese and English, and some ancient languages that his grandfather knew. Yugi would try to teach him words in both languages, saving the older languages for later. Far later. Possibly a few years before he went to the Academy, if he wanted to go.

Syrus would mimic any word Yugi and Zane said no matter the language. What surprised his father was that, while Syrus had trouble with speech in human languages, he seemed to be able to hold a conversation with dragons just fine. Hisses were easier than syllables, Yugi guessed.

While Yugi could understand the language thanks to his Magic, he couldn’t speak it. His writing in the language Mana had used before left a lot to be desired as well, he couldn’t read what she had written either. Maybe it was just her handwriting, he had no trouble reading when Mahaad wrote.

“Gar…guard…garden?” Zane pointed to the next word. When Yugi nodded, he continued. “Rabbit, shoe, bat, mark.”

“Good job.” Yugi praised. “I think that’s enough for now. You’re doing really well.”

Zane sighed, leaning back in his chair. He became more open as the weeks went by, and Yugi was happy he seemed comfortable. The bruise on his back and side weren’t bothering him anymore, but there was no telling how the fractures were doing until the next checkup in a week. “Can I try harder words?” He asked.

“I’ll write a few down for you to try.” Yugi promised. The flash cards and books only had words up to a usual fifth grade level, he knew Zane wanted words harder than that.

His oldest son was studying hard. Reading began to come easily to him once Yugi helped him with more common words. He would still get tripped up at times with pronouncing words, but he at least knew what the words meant.

“Here, try this one.” Yugi wrote down a word. “Sound it out.”

Zane looked at it, narrowing his eyes. Yugi noticed he did that when he would think hard on something. “I don’t know…”

“Well, what’s this word?” Yugi covered up part of the word.

“Magic.”

“Alright, so add that onto the rest.”

“Magic-ain?”

“Close.” Yugi smiled “Magician.”

“Magician.” Zane repeated. “Like Dark Magician? And the Magician Girls.”

Yugi grinned. “Exactly. How about we try reading your deck tomorrow? We should move on to math now.”

Homeschooling was harder than Yugi thought it would be, but it was also fun. Zane did well with math, already ahead of most children his age. Soon he would be getting closer to advanced books with it. He was doing well with science too, and learning history just as quickly.

Slowly, Yugi was adding magic into what Zane was taught. He already had summoning down, but that was all he knew. Yugi wanted to teach him the history of their magic as well.

He wanted to teach both brothers everything about magic. He didn’t want them having the same trouble the others did. Their first impressions of the Shadows were not favorable. But the magic, while dark, was not evil. Yugi didn’t want the boys to see it that way.

“Try a few problems, I should go check on Chocolate and Kiwi.” Yugi smiled, handing Zane a pencil. Once Zane started writing, Yugi went over to one of the kitchen cabinets. He grabbed two small boxes of animal crackers. He set one down in front of Zane, getting a quick ‘thank you’ when Zane heard the box touch the table. The other was taken to the living room for Syrus. The toddler was careful with food, and neither Kuriboh would let him choke on the cookies.

After giving the boys the snacks, he headed downstairs. He hated relying on anyone else to run the shop. Grandpa entrusted him with it, and Yugi always felt bad when the others had to do it for him. But with Zane and Syrus, it just wouldn’t work out yet.

The girls were at the counter. Chocolate was writing something down, and Kiwi was leaning with her back against the counter, elbows supporting her. They were both dressed in clothes from Yugi’s dimension instead of their usual outfits, Chocolate in a pair of jeans and a halter top, Kiwi in a sundress. “Hi Yugi!” Kiwi waved. “Everything’s fine down here.”

“That’s worrying.” Yugi said. “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing!”

“She knocked over one of the displays.” Chocolate didn’t look up from the notepad. “Luckily no one was around. We used magic to straighten it up. Don’t worry, it was a booster pack display. The magic had no effect on the cards.”

Limited magic was fine in the shop. Yugi was guilty himself of using his magic for more than summoning. Minor help from the Shadows made carrying the heaviest boxes easy, and he himself was guilty of cleaning up with magic. Too much would be noticeable to people, even if they were not sensitive to it. But the shop held magic for so long, that a little extra wasn’t noticed.

“How was the rush?” Yugi asked.

“Not too bad.” Kiwi shrugged. “Not really a rush. I’ve seen dragon clutches larger than the crowd that showed up.”

“Alright…if you need any help-“

“Yugi.” Chocolate interrupted him. “We can handle this. You focus on your sons. You may not see it, but your magic is bonding to them.”

Bonding. It was a distant memory, but Yugi had heard that explained before.

_“There are many bonds, Aibou. Romantic, sexual, platonic, soul bonds, kin bonds, every sort of bond. Including soulmate ones. And those are just as various. It’s magic that dictates the bond.”_

“What sort of bond?” Yugi asked.

“Magic recognizes you as their father.” Chocolate smiled. “Mahaad knows more than we do, but the bond is still new. Being near them should help it complete itself.”

“It’s like the bond Mahaad has with us.” Kiwi added. “But deeper. You should see the bond between Zane and Syrus. I can’t make out what sort it is.”

“Probably a kin bond.” Yugi shrugged, looking around the shop. It was empty of customers, but Yugi knew once it got into the afternoon that business would pick up again. “Atem told me names of different bonds, but didn’t go into much detail. They’re brothers though, so platonic or a kin bond seem most likely.”

Chocolate nodded in agreement. “True. The five of us have both bonds. It maybe be a soul bond too. Those can happen between anyone.”

There hadn’t been much detail on bonds, even in the books Atem had left Yugi. Those were hidden away on a few shelves in his closet. No one knew they were there. They were old books, Yugi was actually worried that he would break them if he turned a page too quickly. But they were saturated in an even older magic. Still, he wasn’t taking chances. The scrolls he took from his last visit to Egypt were there too. He could leave those out, not like anyone but a select few could read them. Even his grandfather had trouble with translating it. They were partially in hieroglyphics, and partially in a language even older than them.

Yugi had to read over those a few times before he could be certain he had the right translation. And as a favor to Ishizu, he was writing down the translations. If they contained important history, he didn’t mind translating and copying them for the museum. The originals would stay with him, or in the vault that Atem had tucked them away in.

He left everything to Yugi to do with as he wished. It felt…wrong though. To do anything with any of the things he suddenly acquired after the Ceremonial Duel. Atem knew he would be hesitant, which was why the will and instructions were left with Malik, who had no problem going through everything.

“He was a pharaoh, little pharaoh.” Yugi had hated that nickname at first. “He has duplicates of _everything_ and with even a fraction of this, you’re richer than Kaiba.”

He didn’t _want_ to be richer than Seto. He didn’t know what to do with that much! He barely knew what to do with his winnings from the tournaments! Luckily, during the start of their tentative friendship after the duel with Diva, Seto helped him set everything in order.

Yugi owned a third of Duel Academy, along with Seto and Pegasus. There would be some artifacts moved onto the island with the Academy, ones that had connections to Duel Monsters. Copies of some of the scrolls would be there too for study.

Even if he owned part of it, Yugi was more than happy just working at the Game Shop and letting the other two handle the Academy.

There was something though…

“What are you thinking about so hard Yugi?” Kiwi asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

Yugi blinked. “Sorry Kiwi. Just…something just hit me.”

_When will_ he _be at the Academy?_ Yugi wondered. The bright boy who tried to hide a haunted look behind the excitement of meeting duelists from the past and future. Yugi saw right through it, even if Atem and Yusei didn’t. Something happened to him to cause that look, the very same look Yugi held from time to time after everything that went on.

Perhaps Yugi could intervene. He could change his future, but that would change the boy’s past. Would that be bad? They messed with the past in the Memory World and nothing happened, but that was just in memories. Yugi sighed. _You two have it easy now. I make one wrong move and I could ruin you both._

Had the duel with Diva already ruined things? The duel disks they used were like his Battle City one, but the new ones were sleeker in design, not to mention the holographic ones. But the Academy one he used…

No, it hadn’t ruined anything. Yugi remembered, Seto was keeping the new duel disks for the Pro League and Elite 12. And with the Pro League just starting up, not many people would have the new ones.

“Yugi, why don’t you head upstairs?” Chocolate moved to herd him towards the stairway. “You’re spacing out something fierce. Go spend time with the boys.”

“Alright.” Yugi agreed readily. _I wonder…he mentioned friends, will Syrus and Zane be two of those friends?_

The thought sent a shiver of fear through him. Would they be caught up in whatever caused him to have so many demons?

 

* * *

 

The trip to the optometrist went far better than expected. A few days after leaving Chocolate and Kiwi in charge of the shop, Yugi had walked with the boys to the doctor’s office. They needed some fresh air, and it wasn’t too far a walk.

He kept an eye on both of them, and held their hands as they walked. Syrus seemed content with that, not feeling his way with his hands and trusting Yugi to guide them, and Zane walked without wincing every few steps. The bruises were almost completely gone, Yugi had taken care to keep him comfortable as his ribs healed as well. Now, it seemed like there was no pain at all.

Yugi made another discovery too. Crowds were fine, if they were outside.  Yugi was glad, it made taking the boys out easier.

At the doctors, Zane passed the exams just fine. The doctor praised his eyesight, saying it was better than normal, but only after Yugi reminded the boys to not use magic to try and “cheat” the eye exam. Zane looked surprised, giving away that he had been doing just that. Even without magic, he could see just fine.

“There’s less colors then.” He announced after he stopped using magic. Luckily, the optometrist worked with Yamato, and had been warned about magic after practically signing his life away to Seto. If he said anything to anyone about magic, he wouldn’t live longer than two minutes afterwards.

With Syrus, Yugi had been right. The toddler needed glasses. Yugi helped him pick out a pair of plastic frames that were less likely to break and in a blue color. The lenses were scratch and glare proof, and wouldn’t shatter if dropped.

Walking home, Syrus was staring once again in wonder at everything around them. For the first time, things weren’t blurry to him. He pointed at everything, saying “look!” each time he did. Zane joined in on the game, trying to name everything that Syrus would point to.

“Tree. Dog. Store. …truck?” Zane tilted his head.

“Truck.” Yugi agreed. “It’s a delivery truck, like the one that comes to shop every two weeks.” He was careful, keeping the boys away from the street as they walked.

For a moment, he wondered if they should stop by and say hello to Duke and Tristan. It was on the way back to the shop. And Tristan had yet to meet them. Yugi told him over the phone before Duke or Joey could, wanting all of his friends to hear it from him first. Tristan, Tea, Serenity, and Mai had yet to meet them. Yugi set up a Skype time for all three to see them at the same time for later that week. With Tea in the States, and Mai somewhere in Europe hunting down the Items, seeing them in person was impossible. And Tristan just had the bad luck of never having a chance to see them at a good time. With the recent magic scare, he wasn’t leaving Duke’s side.

Yugi chuckled. He hoped Serenity didn’t have a crush on one of them, or could handle both of them. It seemed that they would be a packaged deal, or just a happy couple on their own. Mokuba would be happy about that. The younger CEO was developing a crush on Joey’s sister.

He decided against going to see Duke and Tristan. It was getting close to when the shops would see a spike in customers, the boys would be uncomfortable being in an enclosed space with too many people. That was another reason to homeschool them. If they couldn’t handle crowds, then public school would be hell for them. He just hoped they could overcome the fear in time to join the Academy.

Seto had begun talking almost nonstop about it. Things were going better than expected, and his excitement about it was clear. There was no true age limit on how old first year students could be yet, though he was encouraging the youngest age to be around fourteen. And with the rate the Academy was being finished, it would be done in two years. Serenity and Mokuba could apply to join if they wished. As far as Yugi knew, Serenity was planning on it.

Zane still had around ten years to wait. Yugi didn’t want either of them taking the entrance exam until they were fifteen. It would give them an extra year of practice as well, though something told him there was nothing to worry about. They would be great duelists. Or great at whatever they chose to do with their lives.

“What’s that?” Zane was the one pointing now. His gray eyes narrowed in confusion.

Yugi followed to where he was pointing to. On the other side of the street, it seemed as if the air was wavering around something. Something large, and the darkness radiating off of it made Yugi pause, drawing the boys closer.

The shape was almost familiar. _Obelisk?_ He relaxed. “I think it’s one of the Gods.”

What was the god card doing in their world? And in Domino? His magic reached out, testing the waters. He hadn’t tried to communicate with the three gods yet. Seto had, summoning Obelisk before. _Are you here for Seto?_

The shape seemed to move, in a motion like it was lifting it’s arm. And suddenly, Yugi was thrown back as dark magic slashed him across his chest. Syrus and Zane cried out, hurrying over to Yugi as the people around began to panic.

They felt the magic too. Whatever that shape was, it wasn’t the god. But it was powerful. It readied another attack. _Negate Attack!_ Yugi’s duel disk whirled, he brought the boys closer as the barrier raised to stop the magic, but disintegrated the second it stopped it.

Yugi couldn’t summon anything, not without drawing the attention of the people who were trying to escape. He went through a mental check of his deck. _Yes!_ Of course, he had the perfect card.

_Mirror Force!_ He threw up the shield just in time, watching as the magic bounced back to make the shape disappear.

“Dad!”

“Daddy!”

Yugi pulled the boys close, his magic turning frantic. He had to keep them safe, had to get them away from there. Ryou mentioned shadow traveling, could Yugi do it too? His magic pulled in closer to himself, it seemed almost offended that he had to ask that question. Focusing on home and making sure the magic wrapped around the boys as well, he tried not to panic. Everything went pitch black for a moment, but when he blinked, they were in the living room.

“Young Master!” Mahaad and Mana were at his side in an instant. Mana took the crying Syrus as Mahaad coaxed Zane off of Yugi so he could sit up. Yugi did so, shaking. Just the two protective traps had taken a lot of magic. Whatever attacked them was strong.

“What happened?” Mana asked, sitting on the floor next to Yugi. She knew Syrus would just become more upset if she moved away from the pharaoh. “We came here to find you and you weren’t here!”

“Eye appointment.” Yugi groaned. “Zane saw something…I thought it was Obelisk.”

Mahaad shook his head. “We do not see the gods often, but their presence is always felt. All three are in our dimension still. But they…I would not use the word afraid. The gods fear nothing. They are apprehensive about something.”

Of course it hadn’t been Obelisk. The gods only ever came if some calamity was going to happen. They wouldn’t just appear for no reason. But then, what was that thing?

“The others?”

“Felt the burst.” Mahaad nodded. “They are being guarded.”

Yugi’s vision wavered, Mahaad crouching to catch him just as he fell back, stopping his head from hitting the floor. He hadn’t used that much magic with just the two traps and travel. There had to be something else going on.

“Dad?” Zane moved closer to him.

“I’m…al-“

Twin screams from the boys was the last thing he heard.

 

* * *

 

He had blacked out, but everything seemed so bright. Confusion hit him as Yugi looked around. He didn’t recognize anything.

_Aibou._

Atem? Yugi turned around, expecting to see his Other there. But there was nothing but the unfamiliar trees still.

_You- -ison, Aibou. F- -ecklace. Future._

_The future?_ No, that couldn’t be right. The only magic powerful enough for something like that was the necklace. Yugi couldn’t see the future like it could. _Atem? You’re confusing me._

“Zane!”

Yugi blinked. The voice that called out was nearby, and he couldn’t hold out a gasp as he saw just who it was.

_Syrus?_ He was older, and in a red jacket that looked like the final design that Seto set for the Academy. There were three other people with him, two were in blue uniforms, Yugi guessed they were siblings, and one that Yugi recognized all too well.

“Syrus, wait up!” Jaden called out, following Syrus past Yugi.

It was so strange, seeing his son older and Jaden younger. _He didn’t change much._ Happiness and fear tinted his magic. _They are friends then._ But whatever haunted Jaden would affect Syrus too…

He followed them, not that whatever magic was showing him the future gave him much choice. He couldn’t stop walking if he tried.

_Aib- who is- ow them?_

He still couldn’t hear Atem clearly. _I’m in a vision of the future, and hearing my dead husband. This is one hell of a blackout dream._ At least he knew his sons would be safe, if this truly was a vision of the future. Yugi had his doubts.

“Zane!”

“Syrus?”

Yugi paused again. _Zane, you and Syrus…look at you two._ His oldest was wearing an Obelisk Blue uniform. He was taller, Yugi thought he could rival Seto in height. And he looked so relaxed, so happy and free.

“Don’t forget us!” The brunette who was with them grinned, running up to Zane and stopping at his side. “Did you think you could just sneak away without saying goodbye?” He bumped his shoulder against Zane’s.

“Atticus.” The soft smile on Zane’s face made Yugi think that the other student was more than just one of Zane’s friends. “Of course not.”

“Too much happened this year for you to just disappear without telling us.” The blonde, the only girl in the group, frowned.

“I’m sorry Lexi, I just needed to get out of there for a bit.” Zane apologized.

Syrus stood on his brother’s other side. “Too much crowding?” He asked.

_So Zane still doesn’t like crowds._ Yugi couldn’t blame him. _Why am I seeing this?_ He tried to aim the question at Atem, if the pharaoh was still around to try and communicate with.

_Lis-en. Impor-t. N- upposed- -ear. But I- -eave you- darkness._

“Too much magic.” The older brother frowned. “Even though they’re sealed away, the Sacred Beasts’ magic is still in the air.”

“I know.” Jaden sighed. “Not much we can do about it. Aren’t your parents coming to siphon it away or something?”

_Parents?!_ Yugi’s eyes widened.

_Do no- -cus on that._

Jaden had said parents!

“My dad is.” Zane said. “Once Uncle Seto lets him go. There was an emergency with Persephone.”

“At least the four of us were able to put a new seal on those beasts.” Jaden commented. “And they were weaker this time around.”

“Y-yeah.” Syrus sounded hesitant, almost fearful. “Last time…they even defeated dad.”

_Wait, what are they talking about?_ Beasts that were enough to defeat him. Not the Cyberdark cards. Seto said those were machines, not beasts. _Atem. Tell me what’s going on!_

_Can- -ven supposed to- -ow yo- must- -the Items!_

_What about them?!_ The world seemed to waver, Yugi was waking up. _Atem, wait! What about the Items?!_

_Find them!_ For once, Atem’s voice sounded clear as magic rushed through Yugi. _Aibou! You must find the Items! Before the Gods’ Shadows eclipse the light!_

 

* * *

 

 Blacking out was bad, but the wake up was beginning to be what Yugi dreaded. He jolted awake, sitting up quickly and hissing as his forehead hit something. The teen fell back down, head hitting a pillow on the couch as his hand covered his forehead.

Above him, Mana yelped, holding her own forehead. “Ow…Mahaad! He’s awake!”

“I need to stop doing that.” Yugi groaned, sitting up slower than last time. _I probably scared the boys again too._

Mahaad walked over, moving Yugi’s hands and pressing his own to his forehead. “The fever’s broken too. Good.”

Yugi sighed. “So what caused it this time?” There was no way traveling using the Shadows had taken enough magic to make him pass out.

“Whatever attacked you.” Mahaad explained. “It managed to hit you, did it not?”

Yugi nodded as Zane and Syrus joined him on the couch. His magic wrapped around them, reassuring them that he was alright. _I should use magic around them more. It may help them gain control of their own._ “It knocked me back with magic.”

“It did more than that. It somehow attacked your magic. That was what made you pass out.” Mahaad told him. “I only just managed to reverse it.”

“I see.” Yugi frowned. So that… _beast…_

Maybe the blackout dream was a real vision after all. That beast was able to knock him out cold, but Yugi had fought it long enough to get Zane and Syrus to safety. He wasn’t cocky about his powers, both in magic and dueling, but he couldn’t help but think; _how could that thing be powerful enough to defeat me? It took at least three minutes for its magic to affect me, and Mahaad was able to reverse it!_

He needed answers. But he couldn’t get them with Zane and Syrus in the room. “Zane, Syrus, how about you two show Mana your room? She hasn’t seen it yet, and if you ask nicely, maybe she can add some pictures to the walls for you?”

“Huh?” Mana was ready to protest, before Yugi turned to her. “Oh…Yeah! I can do that!” She nodded. “How about it boys? Yugi’s alright. I can tell you two a story about a few duels too!”

That had their attention. Syrus was more than willing to go with her now, but Zane could tell something was up. He stayed quiet and followed Syrus and Mana. The surprise came when his magic flickered, sending a questioning wave at Yugi.

_Maybe he has better control than I thought._

“Alright, why send the boys out?” Mahaad asked.

Yugi ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back. “I…The past two times I’ve blacked out, I’ve heard Atem.”

“That’s impossible.”

“That’s what I thought.” Yugi agreed. “But it was him. And this time, there was picture to go with the sound, but not of him. Of the future. Of Zane and Syrus in the future, and Jaden.”

Recognition flashed in Mahaad’s eyes. “So we’re catching up to his present then. But that doesn’t explain how you are hearing Atem! He’s…he’s dead. And the future? I thought only the Millennium Necklace could show you that, and even then it’s just one possible future.”

“I think Atem tried to say it came from the Necklace.” Yugi didn’t know how. He didn’t own the Necklace. It was still lost, just as the others were. “But he said something just before I woke up. Do you know anything about the Gods’ Shadow?”

Mahaad thought for a second, but shook his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“What about Sacred Beasts? Zane mentioned them.”

Another shake of his head. “No, but if it’s part of my Dimension…” He hesitated.

“What is it?” Yugi asked, nodding to the other side of the couch for Mahaad to sit down.

He did, and still hesitated. “Well, the Cyber Dragons are new, correct? As are the Cyberdark?”

“I’m assuming, yes.” Yugi replied.

“They aren’t just new to this world, Yugi.” No ‘Young Master’, something was up. “Before Pegasus mentioned to his toons that the cards were missing, we had no clue that they even existed. Nowhere in our world were Cyber Dragons. Just like before eight months ago, there were no Alternate Blue Eyes, or Mana’s sisters.”

“What do you mean?” They had just appeared out of nowhere? That was impossible.

“I’m not sure how, but our Dimension is expanding.” Mahaad said. “Red Eyes noticed it first. There had always been a barrier in our Dimension. It was like thick fog, but solid to the touch. We were unsure of what it was, so periodically there would be patrols of different monsters who would check on it.”

“Red went alone that day, and what he reported was what we feared. The barrier had acted, and _moved_.”

“Moved?” Yugi echoed.

Mahaad nodded. “It was just past Dragon’s Peak when we patrolled it, but Red said it was gone. This was around the same time Pegasus contacted you about Apple, Berry, Chocolate, Lemon, and Kiwi. And around the time that Kisara found herself with three younger brothers.”

“You think the barrier moving caused it?”

“It had to.” Mahaad used his magic, pulling out a scroll from thin air and spreading it out across the coffee table. “This, is a map of our entire dimension. Here,” he pointed to a mountainous region, “is Dragon’s Peak. The barrier is here.” He pointed to the clouded swirls of ink just to the right of it.

“That ‘fog’ isn’t there anymore. There’s woodland now. And flying high enough, Kisara and Red both reported that beyond the woods are other terrain, even cities like the ones in this world.”

Yugi stared at the map. The Duel Monsters Dimension was expanding. Had it always been expanding? Was that how Pegasus was able to create new cards? It had to be. The cards were connected to a spirit, and without a spirit, the card wouldn’t exist. Even if Pegasus found a stone tablet, there were ways to know if it was a Monster or just something some civilization thought up. “The Sacred Beasts…you don’t suppose…?”

“It’s entirely possible.” Mahaad closed the map, making the scroll disappear. “I’ll ask Apple, and Deep-Eyes.” It was a safer bet that the larger dragon would know more than the Alternates. “We haven’t truly been outside of the areas we know. The new ones are far more adventurous than we are.” He had been shocked when the five other magicians showed up one day, Apple in the lead and introducing her sisters. And no one had been prepared for younger Blue Eyes.

“Maybe it was just a dream.” Yugi reasoned. “I mean, of course I’d hear Atem’s voice. I miss him every day.” And seeing the boys, of course he wanted them to grow up happy, to have friends.

There was something he couldn’t shake. Just before the vision faded, Jaden had looked _at_ him. He had seen Yugi, the surprise Yugi saw gave it away. If it was something Yugi had dreamed up, Jaden wouldn’t have reacted that way.

“…Mahaad, what do you know of birthday parties?” He needed a distraction. According to Zane, and what they had decided upon talking to Syrus, the younger’s birthday was coming up. That would be a good distraction, for him and the boys both. It would be another first, and what was happier than a birthday party?

Yugi would think over Atem’s words later, when his head wasn’t swimming with confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atem’s getting mentioned more. I didn’t really plan for that to happen. But he’s a big part of Yugi’s life, so it’s to be expected. 
> 
> But this is cute time! And plot at the end.
> 
> And speaking of time, I used it in SO MANY ways here. Same with magic. Yugi’s getting visions of the future, and the lovely readers are getting a sneak peek on a few changes to GX coming to the sequel.
> 
> Speaking of, would anyone be opposed if I changed the title to “Duel Monsters: Adoption”? Because the sequel is currently in my notebook as “Generation Next: Adaptation”.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday and Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK THIS CHAPTER IS JUST HAPPY WITH A TINY BIT OF PLOT.
> 
> I want to balance plot with development of Yugi’s family. Since the last two were heavy on the darker plot, this one is going to be light and happy. It’s Syrus’ (technically) first birthday! Complete with a party!
> 
> Now, I may be completely wrong with my dates. FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME please so I can get this right. But right now, Syrus’ birthday is gonna be July 15. A summer baby. Zane is October 31. So there’s a two and a half year gap between the brothers. (And Zane is a Halloween baby, but Yugi makes sure the day is spent as Zane’s birthday, and nighttime can be Halloween stuff.)
> 
> If you’re here for the dark plot, it’s barely in this chapter. If you’re here for fluff, you’re in the right place. There is fluff everywhere. Fluff between Yugi and his sons, fluff between the brothers. Even light fluff between Yugi and Seto! Because Seto has learned Affection! And it only cost him forgetting how to push Yugi away.
> 
> WARNING: it’s a baby warning. There’s talk of OCD and reference to anxiety/panic disorders. (what do you expect from a Psychology major?)

Yugi was surprised just how easy things would become over a few months.

The boys were doing so much better than they had been when he first found them. Syrus didn’t seem to remember anything before being adopted. He loved to talk, in any language he could find. He only truly knew two, but he would mimic anything anyone said around him with a smile, even if he didn’t know what the word meant.

It let to more than a few clipped words from Yugi aimed at his friends. Swearing was off limits around his sons. They had no idea how hard it was to explain to Syrus that there were some words he couldn’t say yet without him becoming hesitant to talk at all. That was the first clue that subconsciously, he still knew what they went through before the adoption.

Zane remembered a lot more than Syrus, and it had taken him longer to be comfortable. There was still a shadow of fear in his eyes that they would be sent away. Yugi took things slowly with Zane, wanting everything to be alright. He knew that wouldn’t happen for years. But there was progress, Zane wasn’t terrified about asking for things, he was able to say no without a scared look. He still had trouble figuring out the difference between malice and teasing, but Yugi left that to Joey to help him with.

Everyone in their group knew about the brothers and had met them, whether in person or in a Skype call. Tristan had skipped the call that was going to be with him, Tea, and Mai. Instead showing up one day at the shop. He wanted to talk to Yugi in person, and they decided it was a good chance for him to meet them. His laid back attitude was perfect, and his story about Duelist Kingdom had the boys so distracted, they hadn’t even noticed that they were in the shop during one of the most busiest times.

Mai and Tea had cooed over Zane and Syrus when they finally saw them. Valon and Alistair had been with Mai and were shocked at seeing the two. Mai in turn grew puzzled while Tea talked excitedly with Yugi about the boys.

“I’ve seen them before.” Alistair blurted out, catching Tea and Yugi’s attention. “Younger, but it was them. With a woman who looks a bit like them both.”

It was the first clue any of them had to the past before the boys came to Japan. Alistair had taken some time to travel after the Orichalcos was stopped. And the boys had caught his attention while in Ethiopia of all places. That had struck Yugi as odd, wondering if Alistair wasn’t mistaken. But he was adamant about it being Zane and Syrus. The first clue, and it just added to the mystery.

Yugi got in contact with Raphael after that, wondering if he knew anything about the boys. He hadn’t talked much with Raphael or Valon or Alistair after everything that happened, but he held no ill will towards them for it all. Dartz had manipulated them, used them just as he had everyone whose soul he had them steal. It was nice to know the three were doing well. Raphael knew nothing about the boys, but had different news for Yugi.

“In South America, there’s a black market dealer who keeps boasting that his contacts have found gold that feels as if it is from another planet.” Raphael told him. “That’s about how I would describe what that Puzzle of yours felt like. It may be what Pegasus has so many people searching for.”

That promising lead had Yugi calling Pegasus to send a few more people to help Raphael. Malik went himself, only after another call with Yugi to let Ishizu and Odion meet Zane and Syrus.

Ishizu was the person Yugi wanted to talk to the most. He called her again once the boys were in bed and told her about the blackouts and vision and hearing Atem. She confirmed that his vision was more than likely real. When she still held the Necklace, she had seen a similar one. One with Yugi and the boys in similar uniforms. But part of the vision had been too hazy to make out.

It made her double the efforts in Egypt to find the Items. And she promised to keep an eye out for anything that mentioned Sacred Beasts. Yugi gave her permission to go through the vaults, in case there was something there about them.

The vision still had him on edge, worrying that something was going to happen. But the months passed by without anything happening. Joey and Seto were the ones to distract him from it, drawing his attention fully to the boys again.

Syrus’ speech problems started showing more, and Mokuba stepped in to help him with it. Between him and Yugi, Syrus was doing much better. Zane helped too, but he encouraged his younger brother to use the dragon language more. It wasn’t a bad thing, but only a few people could understand it. Syrus did seem to catch on to words faster if Zane was able to say them in the language.

Zane was a different story. His speech was fine, and he was getting caught up in reading quicker than Yugi thought he would. The trouble with malice and teasing, Joey was able to help with. He understood Zane’s trouble, having gone through it himself. The blond and Seto had a better time getting through to Zane, and eventually Zane stopped asking “when are they coming over?” and moved it to “when are Uncle Joey and Uncle Seto coming over?”.

There was a burst of pride and happiness the first time Yugi heard that. The boys had a bigger family than they first thought, and it was a good sign that Zane was adjusting to it. He only knew the word ‘uncle’ because Joey had said it so much around them. Same with ‘aunt’ and ‘cousin’.

Serenity was no better. She usually came over with either Mokuba or Joey, though sometimes it was Seto who brought her. That was the only thing Yugi needed to see just how close Joey and Seto were becoming. Seto seemed at ease around Serenity, and Joey trusted him enough to be around her. She was just the influence the boys needed. Mischievous, but kind and smart too.

Yugi thought Joey would be the first to introduce the boys to pranks. But he had been completely wrong. The first prank had been Serenity’s idea. And what a genius prank it had been, she even had Seto in on it.

One day, at the front of the shop, there was a new Cyber Dragon display. Serenity said it came from Pegasus, to promote the new cards that were going on sale soon. Yugi had passed by it, customers had passed by it, but nothing happened. Nothing, other than Syrus giggling whenever someone would walk by. Even Zane had a small smile. Both were in the shop, which had struck Yugi as odd. Even though they were better with crowds, they still preferred to stay upstairs while Yugi worked. Serenity was with them as well.

It wasn’t until a loud group of teenagers came in that the prank went a bit far. The loudness had caught Zane off guard, and he hid behind the counter where Yugi was almost glaring at the younger teenagers. Usually, the loudness didn’t bother him. But it had become common knowledge between most of the shop’s customers that Yugi had children, and those children weren’t alright with too much noise.

The Cyber Dragon, Yugi finally realizing it was Silver, turned it’s head from the shop’s door to the teens, and gave a hostile hiss. Yugi had never seen anyone run as fast as the teens had out of the shop. The prank was up then, and Serenity was laughing too hard to explain it. Zane explained it then, with the small smile returning.

“We wanted to see if you would notice it wasn’t just a display.” He had said. “Uncle Seto did something to hide the magic around Silver so you couldn’t sense it.”

The prank was just Silver being there. They had planned on catching Yugi off guard and having Silver nudge him or pick him up to spook him once the shop was closed. Yugi couldn’t help but laugh along with them at the prank.

Things were beginning to look happier. And when July came around, Yugi’s own plan went into play.

With Zane’s help, and talking to Syrus, they managed to narrow Syrus’ birthday down to the middle of July. Without the ability to get an exact date, the fifteenth was chosen. Yugi planned a small party to celebrate. Nothing too big, but something to get the boys introduced to holidays. And that included birthdays. The air was filled with excitement even before they woke up.

Yugi wanted it to be perfect. Not stressful, not overly simple or extravagant, he wanted the boys to have fun. To be children. And children had birthday parties. Syrus didn’t have anyone his age around, but Yugi’s friends, his family, were going to be there. The ones in Domino anyway. Tea had a huge exam in one of her summer classes that day, but she sent a card for Syrus. Everyone else who was out of the country was busy too, even Grandpa. The earliest flight he could get was for the day after. He called the day before, wishing Syrus happy birthday and starting up the boys’ confusion.

They never celebrated birthdays before. “Cyber Phoenix tried to explain it, but we couldn’t do anything for them.” Zane explained.

That was changing. They could do everything now. Talking about it was still painful for Zane, and he had more than a few nightmares from their past. Ones that left him shaking and crying for Yugi, but when his screaming woke Syrus one night, he tried to be silent about them. Yugi kept his door open at night, so Zane could come in and hide and feel safe. Yugi always woke up when he did, and did his best to soothe Zane and calm him down enough to go back to sleep.

The night of the fourteenth had been nightmare-free, thankfully. Maybe it was the excitement of the fifteenth that kept them away. Yugi had made sure to check on Zane and Syrus when he woke up, smiling when he saw the boys.

Beds forgotten, they were asleep on a pile of blankets and pillows in the middle of the room. Kitty and the stuffed Cyber Dragon with them. A digital clock was near their little nest. _They stayed awake until midnight. Or tried to._ Yugi realized. Zane made it no secret that he wanted to be the first to tell his brother ‘happy birthday’ on the actual day. _Maybe I should have waited to explain time to him._ No doubt they would be tired by late afternoon.

He could let them sleep in. It was only six in the morning. Yugi would have slept in too, except there were a few things he wanted to get done. Namely, the cake.

He wasn’t going to buy one. Not on Syrus’ first birthday with him. Yugi wanted to make it, and he had a recipe for a good one. It was a simple vanilla cake with buttercream frosting, but it would be perfect.

Neither of the boys had tried cake yet. Or ice cream. Partially because it had just never come up as something to get them to try, and partially because Yugi wanted to wait for one of their birthdays. They had tried other desserts, and candy, but cake and ice cream was going to be a new game.

And a game food had become. Yugi hadn’t realized just how messy kids could be. Even with food that seemed impossible to be messy! Wet wipes had become a kitchen staple now. It wasn’t that they tried to be messy, it just happened. Spaghetti, Yugi should have realized would be a disaster. Candy was sticky, chocolate melted, ketchup, mustard, and mayo stained things. Syrup though.

Once the boys were awake, Syrus wanted pancakes for breakfast. Yugi was happy to oblige, making the pancakes and setting the plates down with butter and syrup already on the pancakes. His own were still cooking, he would eat and cook the rest of the food for the day at the same time. Or, that had been the plan.

“Syrus.” Yugi looked part amused, part dismayed. The three-year-old had decided that pancakes were faster to eat if he used his hands. He couldn’t help but laugh.

He expected it to happen sooner, if Yugi was being honest. It was testament to how far the boys had come. Syrus was a normal three-year-old, if the stories from parents online were to be believed.

“It’s faster!” Syrus grinned, finishing his pancakes.

Zane was alarmed at his brother’s actions, looking down at his own plate. He was only half finished with his, and gripped his fork tightly. He didn’t like messes, Yugi found. Zane always kept their room cleaned, always kept the books and flash cards in neat lines and piles. Even the toys the two had were put away neatly. Yugi talked to Doctor Yamato about it, and the two figured Zane could have mild obsessive compulsive disorder. Or, it was just fear keeping him neat still. Like if it wasn’t neat, they couldn’t stay with Yugi.

Yugi never punished them for things not being neat. He never punished them at all, except for when Zane would say swears that Silver taught him. Even then, Yugi sat down with him and explained why he couldn’t use those words. He didn’t punish him and not tell him why. The punishment wasn’t even bad, just a verbal warning.

“Well it is faster.” Yugi laughed. “But it’s so messy too! Look at your hands.” He was already reaching for the wet wipes.

Syrus looked down at his hands, and clapped them together. “S’iky.” He said, pulling them apart.

“Sticky.” Zane corrected, going back to his breakfast.

“Very sticky.” Yugi walked over, helping Syrus clean off his hands before grabbing another wipe. “Even your face is sticky.” There was syrup on his cheeks, and even on the tip of his nose. “Just because you’re the birthday boy doesn’t mean you can stay messy all day.”

The wet wipes were just to keep him from getting syrup everywhere as Yugi took him to the bathroom to really clean off his hands and face. Zane joined them after a few minutes to wash off his own hands. Even with a fork, syrup had ways of getting onto hands. He stood on the stool Yugi bought after realizing that both boys were too short to reach the sink. Yugi sat on the edge of the tub, wiping off Syrus’ hands with a soapy cloth.

“There. Now, how about you two go play for a while. I have to finish a few things up.”

“Teach?” Syrus asked.

Yugi shook his head. “Not today. It’s Saturday.” To get the boys used to a school schedule, Yugi kept the homeschooling to Monday through Friday. Saturday was usually a day for the three to just relax and do whatever they pleased. Sunday was when Yugi would typically get new shipments in for the shop, and would plan out what to teach for the following week.

He fell into the role of teacher easily. If he wasn’t a professional duelist, game designer, and parent, he figured teaching would be a fun career.

“Besides, it’s your birthday! You don’t want to do school work on your birthday, do you?” Yugi asked, standing up and picking Syrus up. “Or make your brother do school work?”

“No no no.” Syrus shook his head. “No work for me ‘n Zane!”

Zane led the way to their room, but stopped in the doorway.

“Toon Dra’on!” Syrus grinned, squirming out of Yugi’s grip. The Blue Eyes Toon Dragon was bouncing on Syrus’ bed, snickering. It held something in its claws, and stopped bouncing as Syrus walked over to it.

The dragon held out the envelope to Syrus and disappeared once Syrus took it.

“It’s from grandpa Pegasus!” Syrus cheered.

Yugi stifled a laugh. Syrus had taken to calling the game creator that when he called one day. Joey had joked about him worrying like a grandfather and treating Yugi like a son. It had all gone downhill from there. Pegasus protested, but didn’t have the heart to try and change Syrus’ mind to see him as an uncle.

 _He really has everyone wrapped around his fingers._ Yugi thought. “Let’s save it with the other presents.” He suggested. Syrus nodded, bringing it to Yugi to put up.

Presents were something Yugi had worried over. Not only what to get Syrus, but how both boys were react to them. He was an only child, and didn’t know how siblings would react to one getting presents and the other not.

Joey and Seto had rescued him once again, Ryou and Malik joining them too. The first three were older brothers, and talked to Zane about it. Yugi shouldn’t have worried, Zane understood and didn’t want gifts. It was Syrus’ birthday, not his, and he admitted to wanting to get Syrus a gift too.

Malik talked to Syrus about something. Both were younger siblings, and Yugi had no idea what their talk was about. He tried to get Syrus to tell him, but the child had just made a shushing noise, saying “Uncle Malik said it secret!”

Yugi let it slide once. Malik wouldn’t tell Syrus anything bad, not yet. And while Mokuba supervised their talk, Yugi had taken Zane to get Syrus’ present.

It seemed Yugi wasn’t the only one having a hard time trying to decide what to get him. Yugi wanted to get Syrus everything, even if it was a bit unrealistic. He even thought of getting Syrus a pony. That, he blamed on Atem’s lingering memories. One of the presents the pharaoh had gotten when he was three was a foal. Yugi stopped that thought dead. He had nowhere to keep a horse, and didn’t even know if Syrus liked horses. He liked cats.

But there was no way Yugi was getting him a pet. Yugi liked cats too, but his grandfather was allergic.

Checking in on the boys one more time after putting the card with the others that had come before then, Yugi went back downstairs. The cake was cooling, and lunch was cooking. It was just a small pizza. Perfect for the three of them. And without pepperoni. Sausage was the safest bet. Both boys liked just regular cheese, but that got boring after a while. They had that last time they had pizza.

Dinner would be cooked when the others came over. Seto had a good idea, in the form of pirozhki. A Russian dish to introduce their boys to other cultures, to one that they came from. A blood test was enough to tell where the boys’ birth families were from. One parent had to be from Western Russia, or somewhere in Europe. The other was Japanese, probably with another nation mixed in. Pirozhki were all that Seto knew how to cook, so he would help Yugi make some, as well as plenty of other food in case the boys didn’t like them.

The others were bringing things as well. The boys were going to be spoiled. Yugi would keep an eye on how much they ate, not wanting them to get sick. They hadn’t eaten themselves sick yet, and Yugi was hoping it would stay that way. It wasn’t a fun feeling, he knew from personal experience. It always happened after every adventure. He would get talked into celebrating by Joey, Tristan, and Atem. They would ignore Tea’s warning of not eating too much, and pay for it the next day. At least he had the option of forcing Atem through it in his stead.

Except for after the Ceremonial Duel. He hadn’t eaten regularly for months afterwards.

Yugi shook his head. No sad thoughts that day. It was a happy day. Syrus was three now, it had been five months since he first adopted them. Everything was peaceful. Yugi took the pizza out of the oven. He wouldn’t call the boys in, they could eat in their room for once.

 

* * *

 

It was around two when Seto and Joey showed up, together. Yugi raised an eyebrow at that, smirking. “Well.” He said, standing in the doorway.

The boys were napping after lunch, wanting to be awake for the party. Staying up late meant waking up was a chore, and left both a little cranky once they were comfortable and full. Napping after lunch meant they could stay awake for the party, dinner, and the cake. And would hopefully go to bed around nine.

“Not a word.” Seto glared.

“We can tell everyone later.” Joey agreed. “Today is for Syrus.”

“I want details.” Yugi said as they walked passed him into the living room. Oh how a few months could change people. Yugi noticed they were getting closer now that they worked together and weren’t actively trying to kill each other.

Joey set down the gifts on a table Yugi had set up to the side of the living room. While the boys slept, Yugi had moved things around. The coffee table now rested against one wall, a few bowls of fruit, chips, and vegetables with dip sat on it. The other wall was where the gift table was, and another table would hold the cake and other desserts that were being made or brought. The room was open in the middle now, with the couch and loveseat and a few other chairs scattered about.

“You’ve been busy.” Joey grinned.

“I’ve been up since six.” Yugi admitted. “I think I’m as excited as the boys are.”

“It’s something to be excited about.” Seto gave him a small smile. “Their first birthday here, probably the first birthday Syrus is going to remember. It’s one thing I wish I could redo for Mokuba.”

“Serenity’s went well.” Joey said. “Mom made sure of it. And I wasn’t gonna ruin it for her.” He had been too scared it would be the last he would have with her, or the last she would have ever. No one had told him it was just her eyesight that was going bad. As a kid, he thought his sister was dying.

“Where are Mokuba and Serenity?” Yugi asked.

“They’ll be commin’. Mokuba just didn’t think ta wrap his gift so ‘Ren’s helping him with Roland.” Joey explained. “Where is the birthday boy?”

“Asleep.” Yugi grinned. “They must’ve stayed up all night, I found them this morning in a blanket nest on the floor with a clock nearby. Zane wanted to make sure he was the first to tell Syrus happy birthday on his birthday.”

“Oh…that’s just too adorable.” Joey looked much like a wounded puppy, eyes tearing up. “Yug’, these kids are too cute. They gonna kill us with cute.”

Seto seemed to make a small noise of agreement. Yugi grinned. The CEO always seemed to have a soft spot for kids, and Syrus and Zane had wormed their ways into his heart quickly.

“Please tell me you two didn’t go overboard with presents. You know there’s still other birthdays and holidays.” Yugi finally dared to glance at the gift table. There had been a lot on it before, with friends who weren’t in Domino sending theirs in through mail. Plus the ones Yugi and Zane had picked out.

The pile had almost doubled. “I’m so adding a play room.” He sighed.

“So Gramps agreed to the renovations?” Joey fell onto the couch, trying to tug Seto down with him.

Yugi nodded. He had approached his grandfather with the idea to build onto the house and shop a few months ago. Zane and Syrus wouldn’t want to share a room forever. They were sharing the room in the attic across from Yugi’s. But as they grew up, he knew they’d want their own space away from everyone, and sometimes away from each other.

Solomon thought it a good idea. He had been planning to talk to Yugi about expanding anyway. With Yugi’s dueling fame, new duel disks and other games coming out, including Yugi’s own game, the shop would have to expand to handle not only the added inventory, but the customers said inventory would attract.

“We’re going to start next year.” Yugi said. “I can pay for a hotel to stay at, I don’t want the boys having to deal with so much noise while it’s being built.”

“You can always come to the mansion instead.” Seto offered. “There’s more than enough room.”

“Thanks Seto.” Yugi smiled gratefully at him.

“What all are you adding on?” Joey asked.

“Well, another room for the boys of course.” Yugi started. “They can’t be expected to share forever. If they want their own rooms, I want to be sure they can have it. A play and gaming room. The shops going to be expanded so the backroom’s getting moved. Another bathroom.” Two worked for him and Grandpa. One was upstairs with Yugi and the boys, but adding on another would help for when the boys got older. “And a guest room.”

“You have the property and permits for it?” Seto asked.

“Of course.” Yugi said. “Speaking of legalities…has the adoption been finalized?”

There were plenty of hoops Seto could get them to jump through, but the finalizing of the adoption was not one of them. It still needed that to be official. And even as a celebrity, Yugi hadn’t had the easiest time with that.

He was young, that was the biggest obstacle. Nineteen and wanting to adopt two children, people had their doubts. But Seto had pulled so many strings, even ones Yugi hadn’t known about or thought could be pulled so far. Pegasus helped, even his grandfather and Professor Hawkins chimed in with their opinions. But the final results were still up in the air, Seto hadn’t told Yugi anything.

“You’ll find out.” Seto answered.

Yugi sighed. “That’s not really helping my stress, Seto.”

Seto was saved from having to comment when Joey opened the door to let Duke and Tristan in. “Hey guys.” Yugi greeted them.

“Hey Yugi.” Duke grinned. “Where’s the little guy?”

“Sleeping.”

“Up all night with excitement?” Tristan guessed.

“Him and Zane both.”

Mokuba and Serenity were the last two to show up. Yugi realized then just how spread out everyone was now. Only seven of them were in Domino, the others scattered around the world. It felt so much real having everyone there. But it didn’t matter. They were still friends, bonded by more than most.

“I’ll go wake the boys.” Yugi said, heading upstairs. _I hope you two make friends like mine._ He thought, looking in on them.

Zane was awake, looking at the cards in his deck again. One of the gifts he had gotten for Syrus would go perfectly with the gift Yugi was sure Pegasus sent. The oldest brother looked up as Yugi stood in the doorway. “Is everyone here?” He asked.

Yugi nodded. “If it gets to be too much, you can come back up here.” He said, walking over to Syrus’ bed. “Sy, it’s time to wake up.” Yugi said gently.

Syrus blinked, looking up at Yugi. “Daddy, sleepy.” He held up his arms, wanting picked up.

“I know sweetheart. But you want to see everyone and get your presents, don’t you?”

That woke up the three-year-old. “Yes!”

Zane tried to hide a small smile as he looked at his dad and brother. It was nice, seeing Syrus so happy. “Let’s go then.” He said, putting his deck away.

Yugi walked with the boys downstairs, Zane immediately being stolen away by Mokuba and Serenity after the two told Syrus ‘happy birthday’. Syrus was passed over to Joey, then to Tristan, then Duke, eventually ending up with Seto.

“Presents first or food?” Joey asked Yugi.

“Presents. Seto and I have to finish the food before we can eat.” Yugi wasn’t going to touch the pirozhki recipe without Seto there to assist. “And if we make Syrus wait any longer he may start crying.”

Joey grinned. “Then let’s get the show on the road!”

The number of presents seemed to have tripled in size. Yugi was grateful he was adding in a playroom to the renovations. _There’s only so much you can get a three-year-old._ It was Zane’s birthday that would be the creative one. He was actually a bit scared about what the others would come up with.

Thankfully, the presents for Syrus were tame. A few age appropriate games from Duke. Some pretend outfits from Tristan- Syrus loved the cop one- and toys. Mai had sent a plush strawberry, and gummy strawberry candy. Malik and Ryou had both sent souvenirs. A necklace with the eye of Horus, and bracelet with the closest translation of Syrus’ name they could get in hieroglyphics. Yugi vetoed putting the necklace on, but helped Syrus put on the bracelet.

Grandpa’s gift was him coming home, but he had sent a card to tell Syrus that. He was as excited about that gift as he was the others. Serenity got him a road playmat, to go with the toy cars Mokuba had gotten him. Syrus paid close attention to the motorcycle. _Yusei would love that._

Ishizu sent something too. An anklet, imbedded with magic. _It’s to protect him from the Shadow Realm._ The card she sent with it read.

Seto and Joey had easily brought a third of the presents. Different toys, books, Yugi was half expecting a duel disk with the way the two were acting. Instead, the biggest gift was two lifetime VIP passes to Kaibaland.

“You know you’re going to come to regret those.” Yugi said. “He’ll want to go every day, and who’s going to watch him when I can’t?”

“Mokuba will.” Seto answered.

“No. Mokuba can babysit when the boys are here. In an amusement park? That’s on you.”

“Roland then.”

Yugi sighed.

Syrus gave one of the passes to Zane. Neither really knew what Kaibaland was, but they would ask their dad later. The next gift was from Pegasus. The birthday card he sent gave nothing away about what was in the small box, but Yugi had a feeling he knew what it was.

Syrus opened the box. “Cards?” He picked up the top one, looking at it.

Yugi and Seto looked at it as well. There was another white card just underneath the first card of the deck. “Roid Counterattack?” Seto frowned. “He does know what that word means in the States, correct?”

“Gyroid, Steamroid, Cycroid, it’s innocent Seto, look.” Yugi held up the next card. “They’re cute. Seems Pegasus was able to make a few new cards into a deck.”

“An incomplete deck.” Seto handed the white card to Yugi. “Says there’s only thirty-three cards here.”

The card was meant for Yugi, soothing any worries the still new parent would have. The cards were newer than the Cyber Dragons, and perfectly suited for a younger duelist. The missing cards were ones that were already in production. And two others that were the hardest to find.

Of course, they were only hard to find if you didn’t have help.

“This one next.” Zane was holding a gift out to Syrus.

Syrus took it, opening it with more care than he had the other presents. His new deck was sitting in it’s box on his lap, but it was moved quickly as Syrus jumped on his brother, trapping him in a tight hug.

“Aww, they’re adorable.” Serenity commented.

“Thank you!” Syrus said, sharing a smile with Zane.

Yugi chuckled. “What did Zane get you, Syrus?”

“This!” Syrus held up the card for everyone to see.

“Power Bond?” Duke asked. “What card is that?”

“It’s a powerful card for cyber decks.” Yugi explained. “Zane has one in his Cyber Dragon deck. He wanted to get Syrus one too for when he had his own deck.” It was lucky that Pegasus had given Syrus a deck of machine-types. Power Bond would fit in perfectly with it.

Syrus put the card into his deck, being careful with it. Finally, he was down to one last present.

Yugi knew just what he was going to get Syrus. Spell cards were tricky. Some Pegasus was able to find, some he created himself, and others came from speaking with the Monsters and Spirits. Yugi had talked to him for months about creating one.

It was more than just a spell card. With everything that was happening, Yugi wanted the boys to be protected. The card was three-of-a-kind. Syrus and Zane would hold one each, and the third was with Yugi. It was enough to protect him before, and he hoped it could protect the children too.

Syrus looked at the Transformation card, as excited about it as he was about Power Bond. Yugi laughed as he was the next to be attacked with a hug. He hugged Syrus just as tightly. “Happy Birthday sweetheart.” He murmured.

 

* * *

 

Watching Seto cook was surreal.

Yugi had been banned from helping with the pirozhki, working instead on a pasta salad. They decided to do cake before dinner, to tide everyone over until everything was done. Syrus and Zane with cake was something Yugi wouldn’t miss for the world.

And what an experience that was. Yugi had the sense to split Joey, Duke, and Tristan up beforehand. Last thing they needed was Syrus learning that cakes and faces were made to meet in interesting ways. That didn’t stop him from getting frosting practically everywhere. Zane looked horrified again at the mess Syrus managed to make, but Yugi had to hide a smile. There was no neat way of eating cake and ice cream when you’re young, not even for Zane.

Mokuba and Serenity had stepped up then, saying that they would get the boys cleaned up while Yugi and Seto cooked. There hadn’t been any screams of terror or crashing noises or the ‘uh-oh’ that meant something was wrong, not yet. Yugi was still listening for it.

He wasn’t sure what he expected with Seto cooking, maybe that he would treat it like business or something. But the other duelist seemed at peace when cooking.

“It’s good stress relief.”

Yugi startled when Seto spoke up. “What?”

“Cooking. It’s good stress relief. We have a chef at the mansion, but I still like to cook myself sometimes.” Seto explained. “I learned how to when I became CEO. Long nights meant late dinners, and I wasn’t going to keep our chef all night just because some idiot made me late by messing something up at work.”

“And I always cook on holidays.” He added. “It’s…a distant memory. But I remember my birth parents doing the same. Mokuba doesn’t remember them, but I wanted to give him that sense of normalcy.”

Yugi nodded in understanding. Mokuba had been thrusted into the spotlight and fame from a young age, as Seto’s younger brother. Now, he was gaining fame in his own way. Rising up to be co-CEO and a brilliant game tester. There were always warnings that fame changed people, but Mokuba was still his bright, mischievous self.

Syrus and Zane would go through fame too. Yugi managed to keep them out of it so far, but he could only stay out of the dueling circuits for so long. He would go back, defend his title, and the media would be back again at him. There would be more fuel on the fire when Seto announced the beginnings of new pro leagues and the Elite 12.

The twelve would be Seto, Yugi, Joey, Pegasus, Mai, Ryou, Malik, Rebecca, and four others. Yugi knew Banner, Crowler, and Shephard were three. The fourth…was a position that would never be filled.

“How’s the school coming along?” Yugi asked.

“Still set to open in three years.” Seto replied. “I’ll have to call the professors off the Item search in a year and a half. So they can begin lesson preparations and inspect the school themselves.”

“Still using the God Cards for dorms?” Seto gave a short nod. “You should use a lighter red for Slifer. The color you have right now is too dark.”

“How did you…” Seto looked at Yugi. “Have you been looking at the profiles behind my back?”

Yugi shook his head. “I just know.” He smiled secretively. “Sorry Seto, but there’s some secrets I can’t share, even though I’d love to. Just trust me on this one.”

“What _else_ do you know?”

“That you want to use boring duel disks.” Yugi chuckled, finishing the pasta as Seto continued work on the pirozhki. “You should color them. Match the dorms, maybe give the professors a different color?”

“Maybe.”

 

* * *

 

Dinner was a lot smoother than cake. Less mess, more food, everyone was happy. Joey more than anyone else, which struck Yugi as odd. It was like his best friend was hiding something. The glares Seto was shooting him didn’t help Yugi’s curiosity. Mokuba was grinning too, adding to his suspicions.

The boys were too busy with the pirozhki to pick up on anything odd. Until Seto pulled out a large envelope after dinner. He handed it to Syrus and Zane. “There’s one last gift, I wanted to wait until everyone settled down to give it to you two.”

Syrus was puzzled, his eyes looking over the large envelope. “What is it?” He asked.

“Open it and see.”

Syrus struggled with it, handing it to Zane to open. Yugi was curious too, watching the boys. Finally, Zane managed to get it open and he pulled out a few papers. “What are they?” He looked at Seto.

“Read them.” Seto was smiling openly now, and Yugi’s eyes widened.

There was only one thing he could think of that would get Seto to show that much emotion in front of everyone.

Zane focused on the paper, sounding out the words on it. “Adoption is final…finalized?”

“Yes.” Seto nodded.

“…so we’re really…?” Realization dawned on Zane.

“You are legally Syrus Mutou and Zane Mutou now. Yugi is legally your father.” Seto told them.

The papers fell from Zane’s hands as he turned to Yugi, tackling him in a tight hug. Yugi stumbled, not expecting it and still in shock himself, but as Syrus joined the hug, he hugged them both tightly. He didn’t even try to stop the tears in his eyes, the boys were both crying too. He sank down to his knees on the floor, unable to hold both boys while standing up.

It was final, they were both his sons legally. After three months of waiting, they finally had updated documents with their birth certificates and the adoption papers. No one could contest it, not without criminal investigation as to why they hadn’t intervened before then.

Syrus stopped crying quicker than Zane, not really knowing why his brother and dad were crying. He had just started because they were. But when Joey picked him up, his focus was back on the duel cards he received that day.

Zane clung to Yugi even as Joey moved Syrus. He was still crying, small sobs and hiccups escaping as Yugi moved them to sit on the couch. Yugi did his best to soothe the older, but he knew the crying had been a long time coming. Zane had been so strong to take care of himself and Syrus, the adoption being finalized made it sink in that he didn’t _need_ to be strong anymore.

Yugi sat with Zane tucked against his chest. He was laughing and crying, looking from Zane to Syrus. It didn’t feel real. It felt like he was dreaming, and he didn’t want to lose the dream. He hadn’t really thought about having kids before. Too busy saving the world and everything. But now that he had two sons, he didn’t want to think about how things would be without them.

His friends weren’t free of tears themselves. Duke was hiding his behind a wide smile, Tristan not as subtle about his. Joey, though he had known about the finalization, was looking teary as he listened to Syrus babble on about his cards. Mokuba was complaining about how cute things were, but Serenity was cooing over the cuteness.

Seto sat down next to Yugi. “Did you really think those Kaibaland passes were the best gift I could find?” He asked.

“Thank you.” There was so much emotion in just those two words. Yugi looked at Seto, gratitude shining in violet eyes. “Thank you.” He hugged Zane, not wanting to let his son go.

It was nearing eight when the party finally started to disperse. Duke and Tristan had to head back to the shop to check on a few things. Mokuba and Serenity had a test to study for. And Seto and Joey wanted to give Yugi some time alone with his family.

The boys were tired after the long day, almost falling asleep during bath time. After a few more bouts of crying, everything was finally peaceful.

“Story?” Syrus asked, holding out a book to Yugi. They loved hearing Yugi read stories. The first time he did so was two months ago, when Zane said that Cyber would sometimes tell them stories from the other world to help them fall asleep. Yugi had taken to reading to them whenever they asked him to after that.

“Of course.” Yugi smiled softly.

The nest of blankets was still on the floor. It was added to, neither boy wanting to be away from Yugi. The blankets and pillows were soft. Yugi laid down in the middle, Zane and Syrus on either side of him.

He read the book from the front cover to the back before Syrus finally nodded off. As tired as they were, the excitement of everything was still heavy in their minds. Zane was slowly losing his own battle against sleep.

“Sleep, Zane.” Yugi whispered softly. “I’ll still be here in the morning.”

With that promise, Zane finally gave in, falling asleep.

Yugi wished it was that easy for himself. He kept his eyes on both boys, not finding sleep until well after midnight. They were _his sons_. _I promise, you’ll be safe and sound here._ He thought. _I won’t let you get hurt anymore. I’ll protect you, from anything that tries to hurt you._

When sleep finally came for him, it was the most peaceful sleep he had since losing Atem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make up for how heavy the plot may seem, this chapter is one of the longest to date! One of the longest and it's a birthday fluff-fest.
> 
> Thank you, Yuri on Ice, for having Russian food. Russian/German/Japaense!Seto and Mokuba I have always loved, because it’s never really said where they’re from. And Seto could totally be from Russia or Germany. And since I got Zane and Syrus from the same place, pirozhki! 
> 
> I’m adding in manga elements too! Well, a manga card at least. Those of you who have read the manga know what Transformation does. Those who have not read the manga, you will learn what it does later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams, Business, and Anniversaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to apologize if this chapter and chapter 8 seem a bit…wonky. I wrote chapter 8 in the week before finals, and this chapter is written during Finals Week. It’s therapeutic to work on between studying (I’ve studied Math and Psychology. Sociology was easy and my Mythos class was…well you can’t study what he tested us on. Instead we were allowed to use books) But chapter 10 should be better. AND I'M SORRY IT'S SO LATE. ONLY WIFI I HAVE IS AT THE LIBRARY AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE FINISHING THE CHAPTER I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THERE.
> 
> More GX characters? More GX characters. And making up parents for said characters. Then it gets sad. Then we get Syrus and Zane’s POV for a bit!
> 
> But we’re getting close to a huge time skip. I’m talking a few YEARS. This isn’t gonna be a “find the thing and get shit done in a day” fic. A huge chunk of this is going to happen over the course of about 4 years. (No, we won’t be having birthday/holiday chapters for each year. I may do those as little fun fics later though. I already have one like that planned out)
> 
> But with it being spread out like that, there are going to be skips. I want to keep the action going while also keeping up with the family aspect of things. And sometimes family life is boring as hell, so I add in cute with it. 
> 
> There’s going to be more magic of course, mainly magical limits. This isn’t Harry Potter where magic can do practically anything except raise the dead (not including inferi) Shadow Magic has different limits and levels. Yugi’s finding his own limits, hence the magical exhaustion that he keeps getting. He may have shared a body with Atem, who’s been using magic for centuries, but Yugi’s only truly had it to wield on his own for two years. And the furthest he’s stretched it is with summoning high powered monsters and Shadow travel now.  
> But that’s not in this chapter.

A warm hand ran down Yugi’s back, making the smaller duelist smile. He laid on his side, curling closer to the figure beside him. “Atem, that tickles.” He laughed.

“Everything tickles to you, Aibou.” Atem continued rubbing Yugi’s back.

They were lying on the floor of Yugi’s room. The sun was at just the right angle to shine in through the large window, leaving a warm, light spot in the middle of the room. Yugi swore Atem was just like a cat. Where there was a sunny spot, Atem was sure to be relaxing in it.

“The warmth is nice. It’s not dry like in Egypt.” Atem murmured, pulling Yugi in for a kiss.

Yugi kissed back happily, the smile still present through their kiss. He drew back slowly, they couldn’t take the kiss any further, not with Yugi’s grandfather just downstairs. Atem grabbed his hand then, lifting it up. The sun hit the small wedding band on his ring finger just right. The gold and silver shone brilliantly.

“You really love the ring that much? It’s like you’ve never seen it before.” Yugi teased.

“I have seen it, but only in the case it was kept in. I have never seen it on someone so beautiful.”

Yugi blushed, hiding his face in the crook of Atem’s neck. He never thought the pharaoh would be such a sap. Atem’s free hand came to rest on his waist, and Yugi looked down at the ring his Other wore. He took his hand back, resting it on top of Atem’s on his waist, there was a slightly sharp sound when the two rings hit each other.

“I love you.” Yugi whispered with a sad sigh.

_If only…I could tell you that outside of my dreams again._

 

* * *

 

“You look like shit.”

“Thank you, for that boost of confidence.” Yugi snapped sarcastically, glaring at Seto. “Why do I have to be here?”

‘Here’ was a banquet thrown by Kaiba Corps. It was a worldwide affair; business moguls, politicians, sports stars, top duelists, even other top gamers from everywhere were there. And for Yugi, it was a big headache. One that he didn’t need.

He had other problems, including the heavy feeling in his chest. Yugi had hoped that it wouldn’t happen, but no matter what he did, it still crept up on him. Two days, then he would have to face the second anniversary of the Ceremonial Duel. Two years since his duel with Atem, two years since Atem’s death. The last thing he wanted to do was go through some stupid banquet.

“You’re King of Games, are you not?” Seto questioned. “Not to mention Kaiba Corp’s top Beta Tester.”

“I’d rather skip this and stay home with my sons.” Yugi admitted, shivering slightly in the cool September air. The suit he had on did nothing to stop the chill.

Syrus and Zane were back home with his grandfather. He was taking a month away from the search for the Items to spend time with Yugi and the boys. The search was hitting dead end after dead end. Most leads were not related to the Items, but they did help catch more than a few graverobbers.

Rafael’s lead was promising. He and Malik were certain that whatever that man was boasting about, it was an Item. And they had it narrowed down to the Necklace, Scales, or Key. Yugi was glad it wasn’t the Rod, but worried at the same time.

“Syrus and Zane are fine without you for a few hours. It’s been eight months Yugi. You haven’t been away from them for longer than a minute in that time. Let them have time with Solomon.” Seto said.

“Let me rephrase what I said, I’d rather skip and wallow in misery with people who love me, not with strangers and people who’d rather see me dead.” Yugi countered.

Seto huffed. “Mokuba and Joey are in there. And you aren’t leaving my side, I know you. Even given the chance to get away, you’d still be clinging to one of us.” The top Duelist still had problems with high-class functions like the banquet or public speaking events. Social anxiety had him relying on Atem in the early years of their fame, and afterwards, he found comfort in being around people he knew and who knew him as more than just a duelist.

“Mai and Pegasus are here as well. Mai has another lead and it’s with one of those idiots in there.”

“Good.” Yugi relaxed some. It had been a while since he saw Mai in person. And Pegasus would hog the attention of everyone and keep it off of Yugi.

“Come, we can’t be any later.” Seto turned towards the doors. “...Yugi,” he muttered something.

Yugi smiled softly, the ancient language sounding more comforting than anything. “I know. It’s just hard.”

“If I could bring him back, I would.” His hand rested on the small of Yugi’s back for only a moment before he was cold and distant again. As host, and one of the youngest CEOs, he had to keep up the image.

 _You protested your ties to all this so much. Look at you now, Set._ Yugi took a deep breath, ready when Seto opened the doors. It attracted attention, of course, but Joey, Mokuba, and Mai walking over to them blocked anyone else from approaching.

Mokuba’s eyes were already glittering with mischief. That wasn’t a good sign. He was in a white tux with a light blue tie, not a single hair out of place. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t up to something. “About time. I thought I’d have to take over as host.” He teased his brother.

“Like you could. You’re still too short to reach the podium!” Joey joked. Yugi wondered how long Seto had to argue with him to get him into the black tux with red tie. And his hair, it was actually tamed. Still styled the same, but it was clear Seto had gotten a hold of it.

Mai looked beautiful in the red dress she wore. It was meant to look more seductive, but the charm of it was lost on Yugi. The dress was low cut, tight, and opened in a V that reached up to almost her hip. “Don’t drink anything.” She warned Yugi, pulling him into a tight hug. “Mokuba’s spiked quite a few of the drinks with Ra knows what.”

“I’m too nervous to drink.” Yugi replied.

“Don’t be nervous sweetie.” Mai smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too.” Yugi smiled back. “How’ve things been? You won the tournament in Kyoto right?”

“Of course. Are you going to be in the next Battle City?” To celebrate the Academy being a year away from opening, Seto decided to have another competition in Domino.

“I might. It would be a good way to let the boys see duels firsthand.”

“Oh, you didn’t bring them tonight, did you?” Mai asked. She wanted to meet her nephews while she was still in Domino.

Yugi shook his head. “No, too many people, too many strangers. They’re with Grandpa.”

They continued talking for a while, Mai keeping all of Yugi’s attention while gaining the attention of others. Yugi knew the look in her eye. Whoever the lead was telling her to get, she was getting them.

“Yugi, just behind me. Mokuba isn’t the only young one here.” Mai whispered. “Those two are part of the lead.”

Yugi glanced past Mai. “Who are they?”

“Slade and Jagger Princeton. Fifteen and Sixteen, Slade is a politician already, Jagger’s in finances with their mother.” She explained. “They’ve taken great interest in Kaiba’s Academy, more than anyone else has. They also have some very unique ties to some unique people and organizations.”

Yugi gave a short nod. He didn’t know the two personally, but the Princeton name had come up in a few of the meetings Seto required him to sit in on. “A bit young for you, aren’t they?”

“Their father isn’t.” Mai said. “And he’s the one getting shipments from Egypt. Of course, that could mean anything from robbed items to weaponry. I’m sure I can get him to talk though.”

“You should join Interpol you know. If you get tired of dueling.” Yugi teased.

Mai smiled. “Don’t tempt me. This work’s actually fun, but Pegasus is paying more than Interpol ever could. Plus, he has better doctors should things go sour. But I don’t think that’ll happen here.”

“Any other information you can share?”

“Well, there’s a wife and another son, but he’s only around Syrus’ age.” Mai told him. “I should go, chances to talk with this guy are slim.”

As she left, Seto was at Yugi’s side again. “Who’s she after?” He asked.

“Princeton.” Yugi replied with a short nod at the two brothers. “Their father anyway. I doubt he knows anything.” He watched Mai approach the man, and Yugi was less than impressed. As prim and proper as the sons looked, the father wasn’t anything special.

“His wife is the businesswoman in that marriage.” Seto told him. “She married for love, unlike most here.” He nodded towards a woman with black hair in a black dress that looked more modest than the others worn, like she was going to a business meeting and not a social gathering. “I can introduce you, her youngest actually loves watching duels.”

“Why not.” He would have to socialize at some point. And the woman looked a lot kinder than most there. Though, as they walked towards her, he watched as someone else approached her. She sent him off with a icy glare and clipped tone, both of which disappeared as she caught sight of Seto and Yugi.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Kaiba.” She smiled warmly. “Quite the party, let’s hope that Academy of yours doesn’t see too many of these with how teenagers are now.”

“Amanda.” Seto nodded, standing stiffly as she hugged him.

Yugi smiled. Ok, he could like her. She was bold, and there was a playful glint in her dark eyes.

“This is Yugi Mutou, current World Champion of dueling and King of Games, and my top Beta Tester.” Seto introduced. “Yugi, this is Amanda Princeton. There isn’t a stock market in the world that she can’t work in her favor.”

“Oh shush you. The same can be said for you with your tech.” Amanda smiled, pulling Yugi into a hug. “It’s wonderful to meet you. My youngest son loves watching your duels. I swear, the second he turns fourteen Chazz is going to be begging me to get into your Academy.” She added to Seto.

“He’ll be in class with my nephews then, tough competition for him.” Seto smirked.

“That’s right.” She gasped, looking back to Yugi. “You adopted, it’s been in the news. No pictures of the boys of course.” Amanda soothed at Yugi’s slightly panicked look.

“Good.” Yugi sighed in relief. He was going to keep them out of the limelight for as long as possible. “And yes, Zane’s five, and Syrus just turned three. They’re wonderful.”

“I bet. And keeping them together instead of adopting just one, that’s the best thing.” Amanda looked disdainfully to a few gossiping women a few feet away from them. “ _Some_ aren’t as kind and caring.”

Yugi wasn’t one for gossip. What others did in their private life didn’t bother him so long as it wasn’t harmful.

“And with an uncle like Seto, I bet they’re spoiled rotten.” She teased.

Seto didn’t have time to reply before a commotion near the dancefloor broke out. He looked unimpressed at whoever it was that was dancing topless on top of a table. Yugi covered his eyes with one hand, sending a silent plea of _please don’t be Mai_.

Amanda rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn around. “Let me guess, it’s not Rhodes. She isn’t even here, poor Atticus came down with a nasty cold back in Nebraska. Misawa had the Nobel Prize convention and far more class. I’m standing right here…”

“Guess all night and you won’t get it right.” Seto said as Roland finally stopped the person. “You’re going for the wrong sex.”

“Oh honey, I meant the husbands.” Amanda laughed. “Henderson?”

Seto nodded sharply.

“Is that a usual occurrence?” Yugi muttered.

“Only when Mokuba’s up to his old tricks.” Amanda soothed. “Vaughan Henderson. A mouse could hold his drink better. I know Seto usually keeps these things alcohol-free because Mokuba’s here. But the little trickster somehow gets ahold of some anyway and lets others have the fun for him.”

“We should go find him.” Seto was going to have a long talk with his brother. Yugi didn’t pity the younger Kaiba. Pranks were all fun and games, but he was co-CEO now. He would have to cut back on them.

Not to mention Yugi didn’t want Zane and Syrus picking up on pranks like that.

With a good-bye to Amanda, the two left to search for Mokuba.

“Well?” Seto asked.

Yugi shook his head. “If her husband has one of the Items, he’s hiding it from her. There’s no Item magic around her. But…I did feel _something_.”

“Shadow Magic?”

“Yeah.” Yugi nodded. “But, it felt like Mokuba and Joey do. Like someone who doesn’t have magic, but spends a lot of time around it.”

Seto hummed. “She tries to come to all social events she can, but it’s been a few months since the last one I’ve seen her at. One of her sons then?”

“It would have to be the youngest. Mai and I were close to Slade and Jagger, they felt the same.” Yugi said. Mild excitement thrummed through his magic. There were others! He kept it reined in. There was a _possibility_ of others. It could have just been from being around himself and Seto.

Finding Mokuba was easy. He was trying to hide, but Joey gave away his hiding spot after a sharp glare from Seto. The night went easy after that. Mokuba looked thoroughly chastised, and sat pouting next to Yugi as dinner went on and Seto gave his announcement about the Academy.

The two teachers that Yugi knew of and the school’s Chancelor sat at the table with them, as did the Board of Directors for the Academy. Yugi trusted Seto’s judgment in the Board, but his magic was still uneasy, remembering the last Directors they had to put up with. This group seemed a bit easier, but were still stiffy and acted like they were above everyone.

“They know what they’re doing.” Seto muttered when he took his seat on Yugi’s other side between the duelist and Joey. He wrapped his arm around his boyfriend, sending a silent glare at anyone who looked their way. Yugi caught Amanda’s eye, and smiled as she gave the three a thumbs up.

He didn’t talk with the Board. Seto warned him beforehand that they were a bit sour about not getting the top ranking duelist as a teacher. He just had too much going on to focus on teaching new duelists. Banner was easy to talk to, when Mokuba traded places with the man to chat with Shepherd. Yugi practically jumped out of his seat when Pharaoh wrapped around his legs with a loud purr.

“Ah, my apologies.” Yugi found the accent Banner had soothing. “He’s very sensitive to Shadow Magic. And you have the most magic out of anyone he has met.”

Yugi didn’t mind the cat curling up on his lap. The heavy weight was comforting, and he snuck a few pieces of fish to Pharaoh as dinner went on.

Crowler was a bit harder to talk to. The high, clipped tone reminded Yugi of some of his own teachers. And already he had an air of superiority as the head of the Obelisk Blue dorm. The way he was talking about Slifer made Yugi want to duel him just to shut him up. Slifer was his card, so what if he felt a bit defensive of any students who may be placed there? Banner’s hand on his shoulder kept him from challenging Crowler.

“I won’t let him bully any of my Slifer’s.” He promised. “And I am certain they can hold their own.”

Yugi went back to petting Pharaoh. The cat had been growling at Crowler too. _He’ll be a good mascot for Slifer._

Shepherd and Seto were talking lesson plans and different things for the Academy. Yugi tried to pay attention, but the heavy feeling was creeping back. _Atem would’ve liked Pharaoh too…_ Pharaoh purred comfortingly, sensing the mood change.

“-if Serenity places lower than Ra, I’ll be surprised.”

“Huh?” Yugi looked up. “Wait, Serenity applied?”

Joey had jumped into the conversation at some point, and his sister had come up in the conversation. “Of course Yug’!” He grinned proudly. “She’s been taking more of an interest in duelin’. She almost had me beat a few times!”

Seto nodded. “I gave her an early application, and she’s passed the first steps. All that’s left is the duel to determine where she will be placed at.”

“That’s great!” Yugi smiled warmly. Serenity had seemed worried one day when she came to babysit the boys. She expressed her concerns over what she wanted to do after school, not really knowing. She wanted to go into nursing, but she hated seeing people hurt. Teaching was good, but that required a lot of college, which in turn required a lot of money.

Of course, she had no idea of the account Yugi and Seto had set aside. Just the same as Mokuba’s, and one for Joey if he wanted to go to college. The two had the money, why let it sit when it could go to helping family?

He had noticed her intrest in dueling picking up. She would talk with Zane about it, even showing him different clips online of tournaments that she found.

“Careful Yugi, she might even be able to beat you.” Mokuba said. “She’s joining the next tournament too!”

“When is it?” Yugi asked.

“Two month’s time. Just after Zane’s birthday.” Seto told him.

The conversation moved to the tournament then. Yugi was definitely joining in it, as were Joey and Mai. Serenity was a newcomer to the tournament circuit, and Banner and Crowler would be joining as well.

Soon after dinner, Pegasus found them, herding Yugi and Seto away from the crowds. “I’ve figured out something to keep the young, future duelists happy during your tournament.” He told them. “My little Toons told me something interesting. There are new signatures in their world, but they don’t have a clue about them.”

“Something new then?”

“Did the barrier move again?” Yugi wondered. At Pegasus’ shocked look, Yugi pouted. “What? Mahaad told me about it!”

“Yes, it did. This one brought on some interesting new Spirits. But back to my idea, I think someone here in our world may be able to see the new ones.” Pegasus explained. “So, I’m going to have a little contest. Whoever sends in winning designs will have their cards made.”

“In other words, you’re making someone else do the work for you?” Seto deadpanned.

Pegasus shook his head. “Now now Kaiba-boy. I’m just trying to document the unknown. Like I did with those Crystal Beasts. They showed up the same time that Cyberdark creature did. But they’re far more docile.”

“Beasts…” Yugi frowned. “I don’t suppose you know anything about Sacred Beasts?”

“Can’t say I do.” The older man looked worried. “Is that what attacked before?”

“And possibly what caused the sudden boost with the Cyberdark Dragon when I dueled it.” Yugi added.

If Pegasus didn’t know about them, then they didn’t have cards. Not that Pegasus had made, anyway. “Can monsters appear in our world _without_ cards?” He asked out loud.

“The Alternate Blue Eyes triplets did.” Seto said. “But I think that’s because of their ability. On the field, they’re just normal Blue Eyes. I think the portal recognizes that, seeing them as just younger Blue Eyes.”

“I’ll check and see if it’s possible. Maybe with one of the new ones I haven’t made the card for.”

Typically, magic only allowed the portal to open if a card was present. The cards served as a key, the portal as a door. To open the door, the key was needed. And magic worked to solidify both door and key. Without magic, the card would work only with holograms. It was one of the first things Yugi taught Zane and Syrus about magic and summoning.

“Alright. We’ll focus on the tournament, you go with the contest.” Seto said.

Yugi’s wrist chimed as the disk activated. A text, probably from his grandfather. He checked it, smiling.

_Boys are fed and asleep. Don’t stay out too late._

“I really should head home.” The weight in his chest was just getting heavier. He missed his sons. “Grandpa says the boys are asleep, but I don’t doubt for a second they’re faking it.”

“Alright.” Seto agreed. “Everyone will understand. I’ll announce the tournament and remind them that you’re participating.”

Yugi made sure to say goodnight to Joey, Mokuba, and Mai before heading out. Seto had Roland drive him home. _I should get my license. And a car._ When it was just himself, walking and taking the bus or subway was perfectly fine. But the bus and subway were crowded areas, and Zane and Syrus were still too young to walk everywhere. A car would be an easy fix.

Once home, Yugi leaned against the wall in the hallway that separated his room from the boys’. He had said goodnight to Solomon, and had been right. The boys were awake. Their magic gave them away as it thrummed nervously. They missed him too. He stayed in the hallway, taking off the complicated tie Seto had forced him into as his magic snuck up on the boys, twining around theirs.

“Daddy!” Yugi smiled at the muffled response. Their door was shut, but he could hear Syrus and Zane scrambling out of bed. He barely had time to open it before they were clinging to him. “You home!”

“And you two should be asleep.” Yugi laughed lightly, hugging the boys. “Were you good tonight?”

Zane nodded. “We did everything Grandpa told us to.”

“Except go to bed?”

“He said go to bed, not go to sleep.”

Oh, Yugi knew that excuse. He used it himself countless times, especially when a new video game came out. “Sneaky. That won’t always work.”

He walked with them into their room. “Ok, this time, go to bed, and go to _sleep_. We’re going to practice magic tomorrow.” Yugi would cram as much as he could into tomorrow. There was no telling how he would feel the day after.

It wouldn’t be as bad as last year. Yugi wouldn’t let it get to that point again.

 

* * *

 

Two days later, Yugi couldn’t find the strength to get out of bed.

Solomon had woken him up, to give Yugi the option of getting up or not. He could run the shop that day without Yugi. If he really needed help, he would call for Zane and Syrus.

Yugi checked his phone. There were a few messages from Tea, one from Joey, and the only one he opened was from Bakura.

_It helps if you have magic around you. It makes the lack less noticeable._

Ryou had lost Bakura that day as well. It wasn’t a loss like Yugi’s, but there was a certain feeling to being alone in your mind after getting used to there being someone else there. The thief was a terror, but he had still been there for Ryou, still protected him, though it was out of self-preservation. If Ryou died, Bakura did too. The other vessel did confide in Yugi, that Bakura did have his soft moments. Comforting after nightmares- ones that he wasn’t the focus of- giving him someone to talk to, he had moments of clarity. Moments when Zorc’s magic in him ebbed.

Yugi focused. Ryou had a point, the two new connections to his magic made the feeling in his chest a bit lighter. Syrus and Zane were just starting to wake up, grogginess flooding their magic. Yugi kept his emotions tightly locked, they didn’t need to know how he was feeling.

His hand came up to his neck, gripping the pendant tightly. He had put it on last night, tracing the hieroglyphs that spelled his Other’s name. The ring was missing from the silver chain, resting on his finger now. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend to be back in that month they were able to spend together.

He felt their surprise when they realized their dad was still in bed. Yugi gave a weak smile when they came to check on him.

“Daddy?” Syrus didn’t hesitate to climb onto the bed. Yugi helped him, making sure he didn’t fall as Zane soon joined them. “You sick?”

“No sweetie. Not exactly. Today…isn’t a happy day for me.”

Syrus pouted, hugging Yugi like hugs would solve the problem. Zane sat next to them, looking at the pendant.

“What does that say?” He asked. Yugi introduced them to hieroglyphs a few months ago, but wanted to wait on teaching them the translations and language. They were already balancing Japanese and English, the ancient language could wait.

“It says Atem. Do you remember the story of the Nameless Pharaoh, who used his name to seal away Zorc and the Shadow Magic?” Both boys nodded. “Atem was his name. Me, Uncle Joey, Uncle Tristan, and Aunt Tea helped him regain it. Uncle Seto helped too, but under protest.”

“He was in the Puzzle, wasn’t he? But you called him Yami in the story.” Zane pointed out.

“Yami was the name he took before we found his true name.” Yugi explained. “He was a great pharaoh, a great friend. And…my husband.”

“Husba’d?” Syrus tilted his head.

Yugi nodded. “Like what Uncle Seto and Uncle Joey will probably be in a few years. Husbands. Atem and I were married. But, he had to leave. To the Afterlife.”

“He come back?”

“I wish it were that easy Sy.” Syrus cuddled closer to Yugi, catching onto the sadness in his voice. “How about you two go eat breakfast? Grandpa’s down there now.”

Syrus and Zane shared a look, and nodded.

Yugi curled up on his side as the boys left. Talking about Atem _hurt_ , but Yugi couldn’t cry anymore. He was too exhausted. Grandpa could explain his mood to the boys, he just wanted to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Zane frowned as they shut the door to their dad’s room. He looked so sad, not even Syrus could get him to really smile. And he was still in bed. Usually Yugi was up way before they were.

He had no idea who Atem was outside of Yugi’s stories, but Zane didn’t like him. He left their dad and made him sad! Yugi said he left to the Afterlife, the meaning was lost on Syrus, but Zane knew what the Afterlife was. Atem was dead. Like their mother was, and Uncle Seto’s parents.

“We bring Atem back?” Syrus asked quietly. “Where is Afterlife?”

“We can’t Sy.” Zane shrugged, leading his brother downstairs carefully. Usually, Yugi would carry Syrus down the stairs just to make sure he didn’t fall. But Zane could let Syrus walk, so long as he stayed right in front of him. If Syrus tripped, he would just fall onto Zane. “The Afterlife is too far away. You can’t just visit there.”

He and the Cyber Dragons worked hard to keep Syrus away from the Afterlife. And now it wasn’t a worry. Yugi was their dad now, and he did everything to protect them and love them and take care of them. Zane stopped on the last step as he got an idea.

Maybe, they could take care of Yugi too. Zane looked towards the kitchen. Maybe…they could bring their dad breakfast! He didn’t seem in any hurry to get out of bed, but he always said that skipping breakfast is bad. Even when Zane had a stomachache, Yugi coaxed him to at least eat some toast.

“Gran’pa, daddy’s sad.” Syrus announced as they walked into the kitchen. “He’s sleeping again.”

“I know kiddo.” Solomon smiled at his great-grandchildren. “Today is was an important day, just let Yugi sleep.”

“We could bring him breakfast?” Zane suggested. “Dad always says it’s bad to skip it.”

“He’s right on that.” Solomon nodded. “Well then boys, what should we make him?”

There was some arguing. Syrus suggested strawberries, but they couldn’t _just_ have strawberries. Grandpa did give Syrus some to keep him happy though, he was a bit too young to try cooking. Zane had watched both his dad and great-grandpa cook, and wanted to at least try to help.

Omurice seemed to be a safe start. And it was somewhat of a comfort food for Yugi. Zane hadn’t seen him cook it before, but he heard Uncle Mokuba talking about it once. _After Battle City, he said dad cooked a whole bunch._ If it was comfort food, then it was perfect.

There was a growl from upstairs as Zane was grabbing the eggs. Solomon looked up from the rice cooker. “It’s either Gandora, or one of the Blue Eyes. Red would’ve stopped down here for a snack first.” He chuckled. The dragons seemed to reflect their owners at times.

Zane gave a soft smile. Yugi explained to them months ago that most people weren’t used to the Duel Monsters appearing and being in their world. It wasn’t normal to them like it was to Zane and Syrus. Even grandpa took some time to get used to it. But now he spoke like they were always there, like the rest of his dad’s friends.

“Cyber up too.” Syrus smiled as a soft hiss was heard. “Eve’yone help daddy!”

Zane reached up to grab the spatula for the eggs, wincing as he stretched a bit too far. The bruises were healed on his back and side, but his ribs still hurt if he moved wrong or too much. He still remembered how he got the bruises.

_“Useless twit, just like your mother!”_

_“Should’ve convinced her to drop you both in the river! At least now you’re worth something, people pay good for freaks.”_

He shook his head. _No._ It was the past. _He_ couldn’t get to them, their dad wouldn’t allow it.

“Are you alright Zane?” Solomon accepted the spatula as Zane handed it over.

“I’m ok.” He replied. “But I moved wrong. My side was hurting.” Yugi said he shouldn’t hide any pain around family.

 _Family_. They finally _had_ a family who actually cared if they were hurt. Syrus would only start to whimper if he was in pain or scared and Yugi would be there to comfort him. Zane didn’t even have a chance to react most of the time. And if he was hurt, Yugi would fuss over him just the same. He didn’t favor either brother over the other, even though Zane saw how exhausted he sometimes was, trying to keep up with both of them equally.

Zane wouldn’t mind if their dad focused on Syrus more. He was younger, he needed more help. But when he told Yugi that, he just got a hug and a soft smile in reply.

“I could never favor one of you over the other.” Yugi had said. “You’re both young and have different wants and needs. I can be there for both you and Syrus.”

Maybe that was why Uncle Seto was over a lot. He told Zane that he and Mokuba were adopted too, but their adopted father was a bad man, so he had raised Mokuba on his own. But he was Mokuba’s big brother, and he was only two months older than Yugi. He knew how to be a dad and a brother, so he could help Yugi with Zane and Syrus easily.

Once the omurice was done, Solomon also grabbed a cup of yogurt from the refrigerator. “Syrus, how about you carry this up, and Zane takes the omurice?” The yogurt wouldn’t spill if Syrus dropped it, and it wasn’t heavy.

“Okay!” Syrus took the yogurt and spoon while Zane grabbed the plate. He was careful with it, holding it with both hands after making sure it wasn’t too hot to grab.

He learned a lot in just the few months he had spent at home, and not just school subjects.

Those were important, but Zane still wondered when Yugi would start teaching him how to duel. He was teaching them about magic now, surely dueling would come with that.

Syrus was first up the stairs again, Zane watching him. There was a tugging at his magic, and Zane smiled, following Syrus. They both used their magic more freely. Before the adoption, it was a safety net, used to heal and keep track of each other and summon. Zane could use it to soothe Syrus when he was younger and would cry almost constantly. Magic always seemed to calm him down, remind him that he wasn’t alone.

Zane wouldn’t let his brother be all alone. He’d protect him, just like their dad would.

“Daddy?” Syrus looked into the room, giggling at the sight that greeted them.

Yugi was still laying in bed, but there was a dragon pile-up on top of him. A Blue Eyes seemed to be on the bottom, grumbling as he glared up at the Alternate Blue Eyes and Red Eyes on top of him. Cyber was there, curled up mostly on the floor with his head resting on Yugi’s chest. And at the top of the pile was Gandora, or, a small version of him.

Zane had seen the dragons’ true sizes. They were all far bigger than Cyber, Silver, and Chrome. Yugi had explained that stronger dragons could adjust their size. His Cyber Dragons weren’t powerful enough.

The dragons on the bed were the size of medium dogs, Zane worried for a moment that their dad would be crushed. But the Blue Eyes raised his head when he scented the boys and snapped at the younger two. Gandora moved to let them off, nudging them away with his muzzle. He trilled something at them, and the two disappeared with a small flash. The Blue Eyes followed and Yugi began to wake up.

 _:Come on kid. Hatchlings are here for you.:_ Gandora nudged Yugi. _:I know you’d rather sleep the day away, but I think spending it with them will help more.:_

 

* * *

 

Yugi groaned as the weight on his chest was finally lifted. Except some of it stayed.

 _Dragon pile._ He guessed. It happened last year too, before Diva happened. It was just Gandora and Red then. But a blueish white scale he saw as he sat up suggested there were a few additions. Not to mention Cyber curled up on his bedroom floor.

The dragons split their time on the anniversary day between him and the rest of his and Atem’s deck. Everyone missed him.

 _:You awake or sleepwalking?:_ Gandora got down from the bed, curling up next to Cyber.

“Daddy! B’eakfast time.” Syrus climbed onto the bed, holding out the yogurt to Yugi.

Yugi smiled softly as Zane walked over with the plate of omurice. “Grandpa helped?”

Zane nodded, letting Yugi take the plate. “Yeah. We wanted to make you breakfast.”

“Thank you.” Yugi replied, setting the plate and yogurt on the nightstand and hugging the boys.

Atem’s absence hurt, especially on the anniversary of their last duel. But he didn’t have to go through it alone again. Just having the boys around helped.

“Now, did you two eat? Or should we move this back downstairs?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Outtake: When writing Yugi returning from the party, my m button decided to act up. So four different times, I caught the word ‘home’ being ‘hoe’. I even had Syrus saying ‘You hoe!’ Sorry Yugi! That one was my bad.
> 
> Once again, I’m sorry if this chapter doesn’t really live up to the past ones. Around the point where I was writing Zane learning how to make eggs I hit a bad spot mentally. I waited to recover from it, but it may seem off compared to the rest of the story.
> 
> SNEAK PEEK FOR CHAPTER 10: Battle City 2.0! Everyone’s entering to win it! The rules are a bit different this time around. And Zane and Syrus get their first in-person look at dueling. More characters appear, including one who is going to get more spotlight as we go on. There's cute, there's funny, and there's minimal angst (unless your favorite character is Alistair, then there's angst and happy.)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle City 2.0 part 1: Preliminaries!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOPS SOMEONE SNUCK INTO THIS CHAPTER. Let’s play ‘Guess the character getting a redemption arc’! (Hint: It ain’t Bakura, even though he tried to hijack the chapter a ways down there.)
> 
> Last mini arc of the first full arc of this story and oh boy is it packed! I may do a flashback chapter after this, filling in the month gaps, give other characters some shine time, and explaining magic more. I’ve been skimping on the magic on purpose. I want readers to be in the same position as Zane and Syrus for the most part. In other words, you know some, but not all.
> 
> Battle City is back! With new rules, new monsters, and a few more new yet familiar faces!
> 
> I’m done with Finals and back in a fairly stable mindset, so I hope this one is better than 8 and 9 were. I’m also rewatching GX from the beginning, to get not only ideas for the sequel, but to see what I have to really work with for this one. I already know the plot I want, it’s just building up to GX around it as well as including the hidden plot, which begins in this chapter.
> 
> HUGE NOTE: I’m using the Card List from World Championship 2008, the DS game. So Mai, Joey, Yugi, and a few others have updated decks based on that and DSoD.  
> And my mind is an odd place. It decided a while back that there’s gonna be a one-sided, unrequited love in here. Try to spot it (Note: It’s subtle, so the not so subtle ones aren’t it.)
> 
> WARNING: After the first day concludes, there’s a dream in which someone is drowning. I’ve separated it with line breaks so if you have to skip it, you can. But it is talked about in the part after that too and that part is important. Originally, I was going to have that start out the next chapter, but as an apology for the odd update schedule, I decided to make this chapter insanely long.

“Battle City 2.0? Not very creative is it?”

“No, but you should see everything Seto’s included in it.”

Yugi smiled, looking at his two friends sitting at the kitchen table. There was a map spread out on top of the table, and papers scattered over it.

Two months had flown by, and just a few days ago they had celebrated Zane’s sixth birthday. It was a bit bigger than Syrus’, with Mai being in town for the tournament, along with Pegasus and two surprise guests.

Yugi had been shocked when Mai showed up tugging Valon and Alistair behind her. He knew the search for the Items was getting thinned out, but he still hadn’t expected everyone to be in Domino.

No one minded, save for Seto. Yugi didn’t know the full story between him and Alistair, but at least they put it aside and were civil for Zane’s birthday. The two former Orichalcos duelists got along great with the boys. No one commented on it, but it seemed Valon got along great with Mai too.

The party had surprised Zane at first, and Yugi spent the first half hour coaxing him back out of his room. He warned Joey a surprise party was a bad idea, but he still had everyone hide then yell surprise. Zane still couldn’t handle large crowds in small spaces, or loud voices, or surprises like that.

It was the first time he looked the other way as Seto and Duke teamed up to get Joey to be the party mascot in a dog outfit. Complete with a pink bow.

The presents were in just as big a pile as Syrus’ had been. Yugi was even more grateful they were adding on a play room. Zane had more books as presents too, including a series Yugi remembered reading himself as a child. With all the books, Yugi wondered if a library would be a good addition too.

Cards were another popular gift. Pegasus was releasing new cards in steady bursts, there were enough for the next few years. And so Zane’s deck had quite a few extra cards. Tristan had the hindsight to buy him a few card binders, thankfully.

The cake for him was chocolate. There was no hiding that he preferred it to the vanilla one Syrus had.  Zane wasn’t big on sweets, but Yugi smiled when he saw him trying to be sneaky and steal a second slice. He let it slide, Zane never did it before, and Yugi couldn’t blame him. Chocolate cake was the best.

Seto won the unofficial ‘coolest present’ contest that Duke and Joey started. Yugi guessed it was going to happen at some point. He just hadn’t expected it so soon.

Zane, sitting on Joey’s lap and looking over the Battle City map, had a dark blue duel disk on his wrist. The same style as Yugi and Seto’s, it was connected to his magic and functioned just the same. Yugi had walked him through only a few features in the past days. Mainly how to get it to display the time and date, and the call feature.

Dueling could wait a bit longer. As could Syrus’ duel disk. All Yugi knew of it was that it was a light green color, and he would get it on his sixth birthday just as Zane had.

“Ok genius since it’s your boyfriend’s design how about you walk us through it?” Tristan asked Joey, waving to the map. Syrus, sitting on his lap, copied the gesture.

Joey grinned. “Glad to!”

Yugi rolled his eyes. He had already heard the new rules and limits.

First, the perimeters for the ‘city’ were adjusted. Landmarks that were just outside of the city limits were included, and would mark the border of Battle City. Duels outside of the border, or in certain areas within it, were just for fun. Areas such as hospitals, middle and elementary schools, and certain shops that declined participation. Of course, anyone could still duel just for fun within the limits so long as they made it clear it was.

The new duel disks would give off an orange glow then. And everyone participating had to have the updated ones, which were provided free of charge if someone traded in their old one. The only exceptions were the disks like Yugi’s, dubbed ‘duel bracelets’ in the official rules, which would instead glow blue. Since Seto wasn’t participating until the finals, the color was safe for them to use.

He set it up as a card locator game again, except the cards now held different, well-known monsters on them. To qualify for the finals, you had to collect all eight different cards. One with the Blue Eyes, one Red Eyes, one Dark Magician, one Toon Summoned Skull, one Cyber Dragon, and one of each Egyptian God Card. Real cards did not count.

Dueling was still the only way to win, but an opportunity was brought up to shops around Domino. They could have an employee as their designated duelist, and if a challenger should win, they could get their choice of one of the locator cards. It would draw business to the shops, and give duelists another way of getting a card they really need.

In the end, there were only 49 sets of cards, making for an even 50 in the finals once Seto joined.

Everyone started out with two cards, but did not have to put all their cards up in one duel. Seto wanted to prolong the tournament, partially because he could, and partially to see if it could end around the same time as Pegasus’ drawing contest. The winner of the contest would then be announced with the finalists, and the winner could come and meet the finalists and have a VIP seat to watch their duels.

To make things more interesting, world champions would be joining in, but with their own limitations. There were quite a few for Battle City 2.0, including nine of the Elite 12; Yugi, Joey, Mai, Ryou, Malik, Rebecca, Shepperd, Banner, and Crowler. Valon, Alistair, and Rafael would join in too.

Limitations for everyone included starting with only one locator card, and not being able to change what deck they duel with. It would be logged before the start, and they could not change until the finals. Then there were individual limits, such as Mai being able to only have three harpies, not including her Harpie Lady Sisters cards. She could have the normal cards, the effect cards, or a combination, but not all six. Joey was banned from using Time Wizard, Malik and Ryou both had Life Point caps of 5000.

Yugi and Rebecca had a shared limitation in only being allowed two of each card in their decks instead of the usual three. Yugi, as the current King of Games, had a heavy limitation; he could only have two monster types in his deck. Spells and traps were unlimited in their types, but the monsters could only be of two types.

What sort of type was not specified, nor if it meant type as in Spellcaster or Dragon, or type as in attributes like Light or Dark. It meant his deck would still be a challenge, and even more of a wild card for duelists, but it also limited his options.

Yugi went for the second type, and chose Light and Dark. Unknown to everyone else, that itself came with a limitation. The two types together could be deadly and one-turn enders. He had an updated ban list, three of the cards he planned to use were on it. It was fun having to adjust his deck to the limitation. Zane and Syrus helped him, even adding a few of their own cards to his deck.

Standard rules applied; 4000 Life Points, tribute summons, but if someone was found to be using fake cards, they would face far worse than losing the duel. Automatic disqualification, and a lifetime ban from entering any professional tournament worldwide.

Once in the finals, the limitations were lifted. No one wanted the finals to be anything but the best, which meant letting the champions duel at their best.

There were strict rules in dueling in certain places too. Shops and other buildings could opt-out of being included in it, making them no-duel sites. The hospital hadn’t opted-out, Seto wanted _everyone_ to have a chance at winning, even those in the hospital for any reason. The only rule was that the game would be played without duel disks. Instead, someone would be there to referee and the duel would be logged in the KC mainframe to keep track of their rankings.

The age limit for participants was 12, with one of the worldwide champions being only 12, it was the lowest Seto would set it at.

“And he promised that the finals wouldn’t be on a huge blimp this time!” Joey finished. “And if anyone’s found starting Shadow Games, they’re gonna wish they were just using fake cards.”

 _If anyone’s starting Shadow Games, I’ll take care of them myself._ Yugi thought. They didn’t need a repeat performance of the last Battle City.

“Geeze, he really wants this one to go on forever doesn’t he?” Tristan asked.

“Just long enough for Pegasus to conclude his drawing contest.” Yugi smiled. Syrus had wanted to enter, but Pegasus didn’t allow it. It wouldn’t be fair for his ‘grandson’ to enter because then he would be tempted to play favorites.

As if he wouldn’t make anything Syrus drew into a card. Yugi saw the contest for what it really was; a chance to find more people with Shadow Magic. Those who had it would draw monsters that they could find in the other dimension. The only exception would be spells and traps, which could be invented. The only monster type that could be invented was machine, like the Cyber Dragons. All others were biological, unable to be made from ‘nothing’. And most had clues in the human world about their existence.

Sometimes, those clues were hidden in the mind of a Shadow user.

“It starts today at two, so we should head out.”

The Game Shop was on the list of places that contestants could challenge for cards. Yugi wasn’t going to let his grandfather handle challengers though, not with him and Joey both going around dueling and unable to help. Instead- and it had taken quite a bit of magic from Yugi, Seto, Ryou, and Malik- challengers would face the Black Luster Soldier, with a deck of his own. He used mostly Level monsters, but had a few surprises, including the Magician of Black Chaos helping him.

Yugi hoped he wouldn’t regret letting those two handle things. Zane initially wanted to be the one to duel for the shop, but the age restriction extended to shop representatives. And he still had quite a few things to learn.

Which was why he and Syrus would be going around with Yugi. He was planning on sticking in wide open spaces with smaller crowds. It would help the boys get used to being around people, and give them a chance to see duels in person.

Yugi adjusted the collar around his neck, looking in the hallway mirror. His outfit was simple. Dark jeans, sleeveless dark shirt, and a light gray half-sleeved coat. The coat was just so the shoulder component of his disk would fit, Seto hadn’t gotten around to fixing it so it could fit on Yugi’s slimmer shoulders. The collar was black, and hooked up to the headpiece of his disk. He adjusted the disk next, making sure it was activated.

“You really do look like him Yug’.”

Yugi turned, looking at Joey. The blond smiled, fixing Yugi’s jacket to flare a bit more. He was in the usual t-shirt, jeans, and jacket combination that he wore, but Yugi eyed the designer tag on the inside of the jacket as Joey bent down to adjust the headpiece.

“Gotta look ya best, King o’ Games.” Joey teased.

“Right.” Yugi chuckled. “Boys, are you ready?”

Zane and Syrus nodded. Both were in jeans and a t-shirt, Syrus’ a light blue, Zane’s a medium blue. It was November, but the weather was still warm.

Tristan rolled his eyes, grabbing the two coats from the chairs. “Rule number one kids: Bring a jacket.”

“Rule number two: don’t think to plan ahead because we usually make shi-stuff up along the way!” Joey laughed. “I think outdoor survival would be a good thing to teach over the winter. At least the book stuff.”

Yugi sighed. “I can only teach them so much in a day!” Already he was having to balance core subjects with language, magic, and dueling. He didn’t want to overwhelm the boys!

“It can wait a while.” Joey grinned. “Duelin’ is more important!”

“Then what are we doing standing around, let’s go!”

 

* * *

 

A quick talk with Solomon and the Black Luster Soldier later, the five were nearing the center of town.

“This is where the last Battle City started.” Joey grinned up at Syrus, who was sitting on his shoulders. “And near where I won Red back from Atem.”

“You beat Atem?” Zane’s disbelieving tone made Joey stumble, Tristan hurrying to steady him before Syrus could fall.

“No way! But it was close! We had different rules.” Joey explained. “Whoever fell to 500 points first had to give up their best card.”

“Atem used a spell card that dropped his points because Dark Magician was more than a match for Jinzo.” Yugi whispered to Zane.

“Hey!”

Yugi laughed, looking around the square. The crowd wasn’t too bad, there were other landmarks that duelists could start out at. The center of town seemed to be a less popular start. And with good reason, he realized.

It was where most of the champions were starting.

“Yugi!” Yugi squeaked- something he would deny later- as Rebecca trapped him in a tight hug.

He blinked, surprise to be at eye-level with her, _again_.

“Stop growing.” He pleaded. “I don’t want to be the shortest forever.”

Rebecca laughed. She had gotten over her crush on him, mostly. Maybe. It was half gone. “Sorry Yugi, but you’re doomed! And you’re here!” She gasped, looking at his side. “You brought Zane and Syrus too!” She grinned, seeing Syrus on Joey’s shoulders.

“Yes, I did. Rebecca? Let go. Please.” She was squeezing the life out of him.

“Sorry Yugi.” Rebecca let him go, glaring at the overexaggerated breath Yugi took in. “Drama queen.” She accused.

“Ease up on the poor guy.” Valon called from his spot, sitting on the fountain with Alistair and Mai. “Thought you were crushing on the dice boy now.”

Rebecca blushed lightly. “Oh shut it! Like you weren’t?”

“At least I admit it.” Valon countered with a smirk.

“Back off my man, bunch of vultures.” Tristan muttered, walking past Rebecca to sit next to Mai on the fountain. “Control your little boy toy, can’t guarantee his life if he starts flirting with Joey.”

Mai laughed. “Oh please, Valon will be fine. Come here Zane! Come see Aunty Mai, I’ll protect you from these barbarians.” She held out her arms to him.

With an encouraging nod from Yugi, Zane walked over. He flinched when Mai pulled him into a hug.

She let go right after the flinch, smiling softly. “So, is Yugi keeping your schooling up good? Or is he getting distracted with food and dueling?” She teased.

“I didn’t come here to be attacked like this.” Yugi pouted, walking over and putting a comforting hand on Zane’s back. He was doing well with the crowd that was gathered.

Syrus was too, though Yugi didn’t really have any worries that he wouldn’t. Joey had him over with Rebecca, Banner, and Ryou. Serenity joined them soon after, a new duel disk on her arm.

“So, Kaiba’s going to show off the specialty duel disks in this one?” Mai grabbed Yugi’s arm, lifting it up so Valon and Alistair could see his duel disk. “These fancy bracelets.”

“Where’s your deck go then?” Valon asked. “It’s just that glowing circle!”

“It’s in the shoulder part.” Yugi tapped it, revealing where his deck was hidden. “But these give digital output, so the deck’s just there to give the computer the card list.”

“It does more than that.” Alistair’s tone was full of accusation, his eyes narrowed in distrust. “It’s a damn war machine, right?”

“Not for use against humans.” Yugi couldn’t deny it. “And you should have seen the fit Seto had when he finally broke down and added in the offensive and defensive programs. Alistair, when it comes to human matters, Seto’s a pacifist. Unless someone’s life is directly in danger, he’d rather not fight at all.”

Alistair scoffed, turning away from Yugi.

“Ignore the bristling cat there.” Valon mock-whispered to Zane. “He’s just mad your Uncle ain’t single anymore.”

“ _What_?!”

Valon laughed, jumping up to escape Alistair as the other swung at him with a fist. Yugi pulled Zane away quickly, glaring at the two.

“That’s enough. Valon, stop goading Alistair. Alistair, no fighting around children.”

The two winced as Yugi looked up at the newcomer to their conversation. “Rafael.” He smiled. “I thought you’d be around here.”

Yugi held nothing that happened against the taller duelist. There were many reasons why; they were on opposites sides of a battle and Yugi just was the unlucky one, it was Atem’s fault not Rafael’s, he _helped_ them more than he _hurt_ Yugi in getting Atem to face his own darkness, Dartz was an evil manipulator who killed Rafael’s family and disguised himself as a savior, the trace amounts of Shadow Magic around him from his guardian card… the list was long. He actually read it off to Atem once.

But really, it was in the past. Rafael was doing good and making things right in his own way. If Yugi could forgive Seto for _everything_ he’s done, he could forgive Rafael.

“I figured I’d better be over here to keep these two from accidentally hurting your son.” Rafael said with a light glare aimed at Valon and Alistair.

“I wouldn’t!” Valon denied. “Look at the little tyke. Why would I hurt that?”

“Because you’re a right idiot?” Alistair said mockingly in a terrible accent that was meant to be Valon’s.

“Oh that’s it.”

Yugi pulled Zane away again as the two wrestled each other into the fountain. A hand on his shoulder guided them both away from the splash. “Why do I get the feeling they’ll be the first duel of the tournament?”

“Because they’re both too impulsive?” Rafael removed his hand from Yugi’s shoulder. “They would have to face each other at some point.”

“Yes, but we all only have one card. Once we lose it, we’re out.” Yugi held up his card, Slifer was etched onto it, roaring at him.

Rafael held up his own card, the Dark Magician on it. “Their loss then.”

“Who are you?” Zane spoke up, looking up at Rafael. He was taller than Seto, and broader, and it was intimidating.

Once Rafael crouched down to be closer to eye level, the intimidation went away. “I’m Rafael, the only person to beat the Pharaoh. Or, I was. Until the new Pharaoh did.”

“He’s a friend Zane.” Yugi added. “Everyone here is a friend.”

Zane nodded, but didn’t move from Yugi’s side.

“Rafael, about that lead you had…?”

Rafael nodded. “Pegasus has some of his men handling it now. If it is one of your Items, we’ll get it back to you.”

If not, then someone was out fifty grand. Yugi promised to not get involved with leads that were expensive only to be dead ends, he didn’t want to know what would happen to the person. He had a feeling it would be worse than the Shadow Realm.

They stayed in the square until, right at two o’clock, Seto announced the start of the tournament.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Joey was grinning, balancing Syrus and cheering. “We’re gonna get to Finals for sure!”

“That is, if we don’t knock each other out now.” Mai smirked, looking at Valon and Alistair, who were soaking wet from their wrestling match in the fountain. “How about this, we stick in teams of two or three, but don’t duel each other? Let’s give the new kids a chance to test their strengths against us.”

“Even with the limitations?” Rebecca asked. “Is it really a test then?”

“Sure.” Malik smirked darkly, reminding Yugi of Marik with a twinge of dread. “If they can’t beat us with limits, they won’t beat us with our usual decks. And it’ll be fun getting to finals on my own, without personality issues.” He tagged on the joke, seeing Yugi’s expression. “I promise, I’ll be good. Odion would kick my ass if I wasn’t.”

He realized his mistake too late, throwing both hands over his mouth. Thankfully, Joey cheered louder when he figured out what Malik was going to say. Syrus hadn’t heard, but Zane did. And that was enough to get Yugi to glare.

“Malik, how would you like to be my first _victim_?” Yugi asked.

“Heh…funny thing actually…Umm, Ryou! Let’s go!” Malik grabbed Ryou’s wrist, running off.

Mai sighed. “Well, that’s those two taken care of. Look, let’s mix things up a bit though. We’re champions and the Elite right? Let’s get to know each other.” She looked around. “I’ll pair everyone up!”

“Sounds good to me! Sy, you stick with me or going with ya dad?” Joey asked, looking up at Syrus.

“Daddy!” Syrus pointed to Yugi.

“Gotcha kiddo.” He put Syrus down, letting him walk over to Yugi and Zane.

“Joey, how about you, Alistair, and Shepherd go together?” Mai suggested. “Serenity’s going to be at the Academy, it’ll be a good chance for you to get to know the Chancellor.” And they could keep Alistair under control.

“Serenity can come with me, she’s not a champion yet, but we’ll make her into one with this tournament!” Mai smiled. “Rebecca, you’re with me too.”

“Sounds good to me.” Rebecca and Serenity shared a smile.

“Well, since the trouble twins ran off, guess I’ll go with the teachers.” Valon offered.

“That is fine with me.” Banner agreed, Pharaoh meowing his own agreement.

Mai grinned. “Which leaves Rafael on babysitting duty! Now, my nephews are no trouble. It’s my dear little brother.” Yugi yelped as Mai pulled him into a crushing hug. “He’s a danger magnet. Be sure to keep him away from sharp corners and electrical outlets!”

“Mai! F-cup! Move!” Yugi hissed, glad for once that his voice was muffled as he slipped up himself with saying something he didn’t want said around his sons. “Suffocating!”

The blonde laughed. “Oh like you care. You didn’t mind in Duelist Kingdom.”

“I was fifteen!”

“And I was eighteen sweetie.” Mai let him go. “Stay out of trouble. And don’t lose! I want my chance at kicking your butt in the finals!” She said as she led Serenity and Rebecca away.

Yugi sighed, but couldn’t hide his smile. The tournament had finally begun!

 

* * *

 

“Go Dark Magician!”

The disbelief on his opponents face almost made Yugi regret the attack. But he didn’t join the tournament to go easy on anyone.

Plus, Zane and Syrus were watching. He wanted to give them a good duel to see. And the man he was facing gave him a good duel, Yugi ended it with only 200 Life Points left.

“Man, I knew I should’ve waited.” He moaned. “Thought with those limitations, you’d have a harder time.” The man was smiling as he and Yugi shook hands.

“You almost had me. If you had waited with Twister, you could’ve taken out the Black Pendant I had on my Dark Magician and won.” Yugi said.

The man looked shocked. “Aw man! I knew I should’ve waited. I had enough Life Points for it too! Ah well, it was a good duel.” He handed over a Red Eyes Locator Card before waving good-bye.

Yugi walked back to Rafael and his sons. They were sitting on a bench in the park, Syrus and Zane staring wide-eyed. “I take it you two liked the duel?”

“Yes!” They replied, Zane not hiding his excitement and Syrus bouncing in his seat. Rafael sat between them, smiling.

“They couldn’t take their eyes off the duel.” He told Yugi. “And they were full of questions.”

“I bet.” Yugi laughed as both boys jumped up to hug him. “Well, that makes two cards for me. Only six to go.”

“That duel was awesome!” Zane smiled. “Can I practice dueling? Please dad?”

Yugi grinned. It was nice to see Zane so excited over something. His oldest was usually calm, hiding any excitement he would feel. “Later. I’ll help you with a practice duel, okay?”

They wandered around until they decided on a late lunch, Rafael gaining his second card as well. His deck hadn’t changed much, other than the lack of the Orichalcos. Zane and Syrus watched with the same attention they gave Yugi’s duel, even providing their own commentary quietly as Zane explained a few of the cards he knew to his little brother.

“That’s Monster Reborn. Dad can’t use that card now because of the list Uncle Seto gave him.” Zane whispered. “But it brings one monster back from the graveyard to the field.”

Syrus listened to every word, but his eyes never left the duel. Once it was over, they drew closer to one of the restaurants that had opted out of the tournament. It was less crowded, and had outdoor seating. The boys were doing fine so far, but Yugi didn’t want to chance a large crowd scaring them.

“So, has treasure hunting been the only thing you’ve been doing?” Yugi asked Rafael.

“Not entirely.” Rafael shook his head. “I was just traveling around for a few months, figuring things out after the Orichalcos. I did a few odd jobs in different places. I didn’t really settle down anywhere. And dueling of course, it’s been gaining more and more popularity. Even the States seem to have shifted their focus from their sports to duels.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad sign.” Yugi joked. “To think, this started out as just a card game for children.”

“And now there’s entire schools dedicated to it.” Rafael smirked. “I’ve heard news of a duel prep school in a few countries. And a North Academy, plus one in the States and Australia.”

Yugi sighed. Of course there would be more. Dueling, unlike most sports, didn’t have a real retirement age. And it was child-friendly for the most part. Fun for the entire family, so long as there wasn’t a threat to the world, or a Shadow Game, or trans-dimensional warping involved. “Some days, I wonder what it would be like if this wasn’t so popular.”

“You would still be King of Games.” Rafael pointed out. “I’ve heard the only game you come close to losing is that dancing one.”

“ _Everyone_ loses that one. Except Tea.” Yugi said.

Syrus chose then to interrupt. “Daddy duel more!” He said.

Yugi looked at Syrus. “Have you finished lunch?”

“Yes.”

“Has Zane?”

Syrus looked at his brother. Zane was still eating his fries, distracted by the talk his father and Rafael were having. Pacing wasn’t much of a problem anymore. Yugi often found himself reminding Zane that they were eating a meal at all with how distracted he could become.

“No.” Syrus said.

“Let Zane finish, then we’ll go find more duels.”

Hearing that, Zane was quick to finish his food. Syrus helped him when Zane offered him a few fries.

“You’ll get a stomach ache eating that quickly.” Rafael warned. “And eating so much.” He added to Syrus.

“They haven’t yet.” Yugi feared what that would mean when the boys hit their teenage years. He had never been a big eater when he was a child, but when he was in his early teens, he could eat as much as any other boy his age. And be the envy of most when he didn’t gain any weight from it. “I’m more worried about when they’ll start losing teeth.”

“We lose teeth?!” The horrified look on Syrus’ face as he covered his mouth was almost comical, if it wasn’t for the tears that accompanied it.

Yugi looked alarmed for a second. He hadn’t meant to scare Syrus! “No- I mean yes- your baby teeth-“

“You lose your baby teeth, so your adult teeth can grow.” Rafael explained, finishing his water bottle. “It’s a part of growing up. And the tooth fairy comes and gives you money for your teeth, but only if you let them come out and not force them out.”

 _Yes, please don’t bribe them to knock out their teeth._ Yugi thought. He heard horror stories from Joey and Tristan about that.

“Lose baby teeth for grown-up teeth?” Syrus seemed to accept the explanation and was calming down.

Zane was staring at his plate, blinking.

“Zane? Is something wrong?” Yugi asked, concerned about his son.

Zane shook his head. “Not anymore.” He answered. “I just…one of my teeth are loose.”

There was a hint of lingering fear in his voice. _I should’ve told them about that sooner._ Zane probably thought there was something wrong. Yugi stood up, walking around the table to kneel next to Zane. “It’s alright. We can just let it come out on its own.” He smiled softly. “I can check it when we get back home. Do you want to go now?”

Another shake of his head. “I want to see you duel more, dad.”

“Well, if everyone’s finished, I don’t see why we can’t go find a few more duels for today.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m hurt. They ask for more duels, and now they’re more focused on a loose tooth.” Yugi joked, watching Zane and Syrus. They were walking in front of him and Rafael, leading them closer to Kaiba Corp. Syrus was whining, wanting to see the loose tooth Zane had. Zane was stubbornly keeping his mouth shut, answering with only shakes and nods of his head and waves of magic.

“Just wait until you find a duel, they’ll focus back on that.” Rafael said, looking around. The last time he was in Domino wasn’t for sightseeing, and much had changed in the few years that had passed since his last time there.

“Alright Red Eyes chick! I’ll use it’s ability to summon my Red Eyes Black Dragon!”

“Not exactly what I meant by finding a duel…”

Yugi stopped the boys as they came close to the main Kaiba Corp building. Their attention was caught as the familiar black dragon roared. “Uncle Joey!” Syrus grinned.

“I wondered where you three were.” Seto commented, walking over.

Joey was dueling at the top of the steps, in front of the Blue Eyes statue. His opponent seemed to be holding their own fairly well with a Luster Dragon and a few face downs on the field to stand against Red.

“Come out just to watch Joey?” Yugi grinned.

“Hard to concentrate on work with his loud voice carrying up to the top floor.”

Yugi laughed. _In other words, you heard him dueling and came running- sorry, walking swiftly._ He wasn’t daring enough to say it out loud.

“So you ran down because you heard him and he’s more important than work?” Zane asked.

 _Note to self, children do not have a filter._ He couldn’t hold back at laugh at Seto’s scandalized look that flashed for only a second before becoming the mask he usually had in public. It was softer, the ‘I’m in public but with family’ look. “Wait, if Joey’s here, Shepperd and Alistair should be nearby.”

“They’re dueling.” Seto nodded to a crowd just down the street. “Which is just fine. I’d rather not face that Orichalcos duelist yet.”

“Seto Kaiba? Avoiding people?” Yugi found it hard to believe. Seto only avoided certain people, including the board of directors for both his company and the academy.

“I can’t tell you anything yet Yugi.” Seto warned. “Drop it before you ask questions I’ll have to snap at.”

Yugi shrugged. It was a fair enough warning. He would ask Seto about it later. “How are the others doing?”

He had gotten a few texts from everyone during lunch. Tristan had left to join Duke at the other’s game shop and they saw quite a few challengers there. Serenity won two consecutive duels while walking around with Mai and Rebecca, who had won one each. Valon had texted Rafael and had won his duel, the two teachers were still looking for their first duels.

“You could check yourself.” Seto held his disk in front of him, bringing up the display screen. “I have sentry bots everywhere to give worldwide online access to most duels.”

He tapped a few buttons, and one of the bots flew over to float in front of Yugi. It was a floating sphere, crystal blue in color with cameras at different angles on it. The bot hummed, and Yugi looked closer. The humming was from four razor thin wings that kept it airborne.

 _Genius_. Yugi thought. The camera angles would help keep them out of the way of the duel, and the small size assisted in that. It would give the entire world a chance to watch the tournament for as long as it went on. He leaned over to look at what it was showing on Seto’s disk, and realized the cards were completely blank on it. _It can’t register card pictures!_ No one could use the bots to cheat then.

“But to answer your question, Every champion and elite now have at least two cards, from your group anyway.” Seto smirked. “The Spain champion is out. As are the Argentina, Brazil, and Florida champions.”

“Wait, did you do State Championships instead of just a United States one?” Yugi asked.

“Yes.” Seto confirmed. “I did the same for a few other places, there’s thirteen champions from Russia, one from each of Canada’s providences, twenty from China, I figured larger places and countries split up like that should have more than one representative, considering Japan has more than one.”

“Just how long do you think this is going to go on for?”

The smirk was back on Seto’s face. “A month. I plan for the finalists to be decided just before Thanksgiving. The Finals will be in December, just before Christmas.”

“Enough time for Pegasus to find a winner of his contest.” Yugi added, watching as Joey won his duel with another lucky spell card.

He didn’t know what he wanted more; Pegasus to be right, and find someone else with Shadow Magic, or for Pegasus to be wrong, and Syrus and Zane be an isolated case of magic. Children were more than likely to enter the contest, what if one won? They would meet the child, then what?

Have to explain to their parents about magic? Take the child away? He knew the answer Joey would suggest. He read the Harry Potter books, best to explain to parents then work from there. Or kidnap the kid. Yugi didn’t think that would help matters. He wanted things to be as peaceful as possible, but he wasn’t sure what answer would be the most peaceful. And the decision would be his to make in the end. The others could advise him, but Yugi had final say.

 _Did Atem ever feel like this?_ Yugi regretted the question as soon as he thought it. Of course he did, in the end. But it wasn’t Yugi’s life that could be trapped with the decision. Maybe the best decision would be to seal the magic. _No._ He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. When Keith had shattered the Puzzle, Yugi had a taste of what it was like to be cut off from magic that he had come to accept in his life. It made him feel defenseless, almost drove him to panic. Focusing on putting the Puzzle back together was the only thing to keep him from panicking.

“Did’ja see that?” Joey grinned, picking up Syrus and Zane as he came over to the group. “So, how do you two like seeing duels in person?”

“They’re awesome.” Zane said.

“I wanna duel!” Syrus added.

“Seto, have the cameras caught the boys yet?” Yugi asked, looking at the CEO.

He grimaced. “I’ve been trying to keep them out of the cameras, but there’s been glimpses of them.” Seto explained. “Don’t worry, I’ve banned paparazzi from Domino until the Finals, and then I’ve banned them from the VIP rooms. They won’t have to deal with publicity in person just yet.”

Yugi frowned. It was impossible to keep the boys a complete secret, but they were in danger. Not only from whatever had attacked them before too. Their father had yet to be caught. Bringing them out for the tournament was risky enough, but Yugi didn’t want to keep them hidden in the Game Shop. And they did have protection.

Even as Joey celebrated his victory, cheering and twirling the boys around, Yugi noticed Rafael keeping an eye out for anything and anyone who tried to come close. Not to mention Seto’s disk was ready for a quick summon, as was Yugi’s own. But the more pictures there were of the boys, the more dangerous things became.

A roar startled Joey, the boys clinging to him. Yugi summoned Mahaad before he could recognize the roar. _A Blue Eyes?_ One of the younger ones, circling and landing behind Seto. It prowled on all four paws, nudging Seto with it’s muzzle. _A puppy._

“What was that display for?” Seto glared at the Alternate Blue Eyes, but brought a hand up to pet him. “I swear, you’re the weirdest of the bunch.”

“He’s familiar though.” Joey blinked, looking at the dragon. “Like his eyes ain’t as blue. You sure about him being one of your dragons?”

Yugi looked closely at the dragon. Joey was right. Where Kisara, and even the other younger dragons, had eyes as blue as the ocean or sapphires, this one’s eyes were darker, almost like Seto’s. The scales had a different tint to them as well. Kisara was pure white, her brother and sister a bit more of a dull blue. Their younger sisters were a vibrant, almost sky-blue color, but the one nuzzling Seto had almost a green tint to his scales.

“He is a Blue Eyes.” Seto growled, protective of his dragons.

“They’re right though. He’s different.” Rafael was looking at the dragon. Yugi knew the look in his eyes. It was the same one that sent chills down his spine during Atem’s duel with him, like he could see both Atem and Yugi, though Yugi was only present as a spirit. Could Rafael see spirits?

It wouldn’t surprise Yugi. Even back then, it felt as if he, Valon, and Alistair had some form of magic. Yugi thought it was through the Orichalcos, magic like what Dartz had wielded. _Maybe…Atlantis has it’s own form of magic too?_ Then, the three would be descendants of Atlantis, just as the Shadow users were tied to Egypt.

“There’s a different air about him.” Rafael said.

“Cyber said one of the dragons is weird.” Zane added.

The young Blue Eyes made a clicking noise, snapping his jaws as if he were trying to talk but was stopping himself. He pressed his muzzle into Seto’s hand, glaring at the others.

“So there’s differences. If I recall, there’s more than one Dark Magician running about.” Seto looked at Mahaad.

“He has a point.” Mahaad shrugged. “There are differences in all spirits. And there are more than just one of us. We simply have a large universe, and seldom do we interact outside of our usual groups.”

Mahaad left soon after, seeing as there was no danger. He wanted to be ready for any duel Yugi was going to get into, and he couldn’t do that in their world. The dragon stayed with Seto however.

Yugi couldn’t help but feel as if he had seen the glint in the dragon’s eyes before. It was impossible to place, even as he thought of where he may have seen it. _Perhaps…yes, that has to be it._ One of Seto’s games. He was developing a new Duel Monsters VR game, Yugi had to have seen the look there.

 

* * *

 

It was close to dusk when Yugi finished his fourth duel of the tournament. He pocketed the five cards he had; Slifer, Dark Magician, Ra, Obelisk, and Red Eyes. Only three left and he would have his spot in the finals.

The sun was going down quickly though, and the boys were tired out. Syrus was practically asleep on Rafael’s back, the older duelist offered to carry him a while ago after his third duel, and Zane was getting there, yawning every so often. For the first day of the tournament, things were going rather well. If he could gather the last three cards, Yugi could rest and watch the other duels. He wouldn’t take over dueling for the Game Shop, when they had checked in, Luster and Chaos seemed to be having fun. He wouldn’t take that away from them.

Seto’s last rule of the tournament was going to come into effect soon enough; no duels after eleven at night. No one wanted to be woken up by explosions at two in the morning after all. And it was getting close to eight.

They had stopped for dinner earlier, meeting up with the others at a more popular fast food place. Yugi waited outside with the boys, letting Joey order for them. It was a bit too crowded inside, and Zane didn’t want to go in, which meant Syrus didn’t want to either. Yugi was more than happy to wait with them as everyone else ordered.

Dinner led to a quick stop at home to change. Ketchup plus Syrus equaled a mess. And not even Zane was safe from the mess. Luckily they weren’t far from home.

“I think it’s time to give it a break for the night.” Yugi said, walking over to Rafael.

“Yeah. The boys should be in bed soon it seems.” He agreed, carefully adjusting Syrus on his back so the small child wouldn’t fall. Zane walked over to Yugi, leaning on his side. “Just watching the duels seems to have tired them out.”

“The walking too.” Yugi rubbed Zane’s back soothingly. “It’s a lot more than what they’re used to. I might take tomorrow to let them rest if they don’t feel up to walking.”

Getting back to the Game Shop was easy. It seemed that everyone was retiring early on the first day of the tournament. Once there, Yugi took Syrus from Rafael and smiled at the other duelist.

“Today was fun.” He said. “Thanks for coming with us, even if it really did turn into a babysitting trip.”

“It was no trouble.” Rafael reassured Yugi. “They’re good kids. And I got more than enough dueling done.”

“Where are you staying at for the tournament?”

Rafael nodded down the street. “Kaiba’s put most of the champions and us in the hotel down the road. It’s not too far.”

Yugi grinned. “Well, sounds like party central. I’m sorry in advance if they keep you up all night.”

“I doubt they will.” Rafael chuckled. “If I can sleep through Valon and Alistair arguing, I can sleep through a few parties.”

Saying their goodbyes, Yugi took the boys inside and upstairs to their room. Syrus woke up just enough to change, then fell fast asleep with Kitty in his arms. Zane changed slowly, Yugi wondered if he would fall asleep on his feet. It seemed that way a few times. _So much excitement today, I’m surprised they lasted this long._

He helped Zane into bed, kissing his forehead. “Sleep well little dragon.” Yugi murmured.

“Dad?” Zane blinked sleepily. “Is it really normal to lose teeth?”

“It is. You lose your baby teeth, so your stronger adult teeth can grow.”

The answer reassuring him, Zane fell asleep as quickly as his brother did.

Yugi stood up, walking out of their room after making sure the nightlight was on. He checked his disk for texts and emails as he entered his room, smiling when he saw one from Tea.

_You better not lose in the prelims Yugi! I’ve seen the dates for the semi-finals and finals. I can make them! You and Joey better be in them._

Yugi smiled softly. It would be good to see Tea again. School had kept her from visiting even over the summer. She wanted to keep dancing, but she was also working on a psychology degree, which led her to taking a few summer classes. But winter break would be perfect for the gang to be back together again.

He went to bed smiling. Things were looking good for everyone now.

 

* * *

 

_There was water everywhere, he couldn’t find the way to the surface, if there even was a surface. He felt trapped, lungs burning as he held his breath for as long as possible._

_Already he was feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. He struggled, trying to move up, trying to figure out which way was up. Terror was filling his mind, making the need for breath greater._

_Finally, he reached the surface, taking in a deep breath only to be shoved back under by a strong wave. He couldn’t hold his breath quick enough, taking in water and coughing as he hit the surface again. It was too dark to see anything, the waves crashing so loudly he couldn’t hear anything either._

_A strong wave pulled him under once more, the current carrying him down. He couldn’t hold his breath for much longer._

_“Wait…”_

_He could barely hear the voice. It sounded far away._

_“Until the God’s Shadow eclipses the light. Until the three restore the balance of Chaos, Power, and Peace.”_

_“Wait.”_

_He couldn’t fight the current, limbs feeling a heavy as lead. He was sinking, and nothing could stop it._

* * *

 

Yugi opened his eyes with a ragged gasp, sitting up sharply and taking in deep breaths. _It was a dream? No, a nightmare._ He looked around.

He was in his room, not in the water. Outside, rain pelted his window like ice, a stray rumble of thunder rolling over the city. “Dammit.” He whispered, trying to calm down. It must have been the storm that caused his nightmare.

It was an odd one though. Yugi was a strong swimmer, drowning was never something he thought of. To dream of it was new.

“Daddy?”

The thunder had woken Syrus. Zane was probably still asleep, Yugi noticed he slept better during storms now. But Syrus always woke up scared. “Come here sweetheart.” He shoved away his own fear, moving over so Syrus could crawl into bed. He looked at the clock, it was only two.

Syrus laid down next to Yugi, hiding under the blankets and hugging Kitty tighter as lightning flashed outside. Yugi hummed softly, the same lullaby he always hummed for the boys, and hugged Syrus. “It’s alright. You’re safe here.” He whispered.

Yugi waited until Syrus was asleep again before texting Ryou. If anyone could help him shake off the lingering fear, it was Ryou.

The two had grown close after the Ceremonial Duel, Ryou no longer fearful about approaching Yugi with Akiefa gone. It was nice, being close to him and having someone to talk to who was just as effected by everything. Yugi made sure to keep in touch with him, far better than he had before. He had been the first to find out about Ryou and Malik’s relationship.

And about just how much faith Ryou had in magic, occult things, anything supernatural. If there was a meaning behind his dream, Ryou would figure it out.

_I’ll come over in the morning. Try to get more sleep._

Yugi smiled. He wasn’t expecting an answer, but he wasn’t surprised he received one. Ryou was an insomniac at best, working on only short naps for a few weeks, then completely crashing for a few days afterwards. Typically, Yugi or Malik would be there with him during the crashes to make sure he was safe. Lately Yugi hadn’t witnessed any of his crashes, Malik reassured him that Ryou was safe.

There was nothing to do but try to sleep more as the storm raged on outside. A November storm wasn’t uncommon, but to have one on the first night of the tournament made Yugi feel uneasy.

 _It’s just a coincidence._ He scolded himself. _Or payback for all the tournaments we’ve had in fair weather._ Yugi remembered the weather staying nice during Duelist Kingdom. And the only storms during the last Battle City were caused by the God Cards.

_Sometimes a storm is just a storm. Nothing more._

 

* * *

 

“You were drowning?”

The storm hadn’t let up as morning came. Yugi sent a mass text to the others, saying that he was staying home for the day with Zane and Syrus. Zane was more than happy for the chance to sleep in, the storm and soreness from all the walking making him sleepy. Syrus was a bit better about his fear with everyone awake. Solomon was watching him, the second Ryou arrived at the shop Yugi had taken him up to his room to talk away from his youngest.

The others were still out dueling. To no one’s surprise, Seto had measures in place to make sure no one would get electrocuted. The majority of duels were going on inside though, no one wanted to get their cards or disks wet. The Game Shop was allowing challengers, but duels were done indoors and without disks. Luster was down there, Chaos taking the day off to give Yugi’s magic a break.

“Yes. I couldn’t escape.” Yugi sighed, taking a drink of his soda. “I figured it was just the storm, but I’ve _never_ had a fear of drowning. Not even when I was dueling Joey in the last Battle City.”

“Well… drowning in dreams has many meanings.” Ryou thought about it for a second. “You could be feeling overwhelmed by emotions, something you repressed may be coming back, or you may be moving too quickly with something.”

“Maybe with the tournament? I’m three cards away from the finals.” Yugi tried to joke about it, but frowned. “I haven’t been feeling overwhelmed. Just excited about the tournament and happy that the boys are getting to see duels. They’re really excited about it.”

Ryou nodded slowly, looking down at his own soda. “You survived, right? In the dream?”

“I think so?” Yugi narrowed his eyes. “I woke up before I could die at least.”

“That counts as survival.” Ryou said. “And that’s what the dream might mean. A situation might happen where you feel hopeless and feel like just drowning in it, but you’ll survive it.”

Yugi’s frown deepened. “You don’t think it could be connected to what Atem told me do you?”

“Were you told anything in this dream?”

Yugi tried to remember what exactly happened. “Actually, I was.” He said slowly. “I heard a voice. It said ‘wait’. ‘Wait until the three restore chaos, power, and peace’.”

“Things always happen in threes don’t they?” Ryou smiled sadly. “I fear this may be a truthful dream again Yugi.”

“First Duelist Kingdom, with you, me and Pegasus. Battle City with me, you, and Malik. Orichalcos with me, Joey, and Seto. Can we even count the Memory World? I guess it would be me, you, and Seto- or rather Atem, Akiefa, and Set.” Yugi groaned. “Except I think the pattern’s going to break now.”

“I think you’re right.” Ryou’s gaze traveled over to Yugi’s open door, looking at the half-closed door of the boys’ room.

Yugi pinned him with a glare. “No. It’s my dream, it’s my problem.”

“I don’t think it is.” Ryou spoke softly. “You didn’t start having any of this until after Zane and Syrus came into your life. I don’t think the three refers to any of us. I think it refers to them and one other.”

“Is it too much to ask for them to be kept out of this?” Yugi looked up towards the ceiling, unsure if he was asking Ryou, or the gods.

“You know we can’t control that.” Ryou looked at him. “You know if I could change that I would. And you know I won’t lie to you about this.”

“Sometimes I wish you were a better liar.” Yugi leaned towards Ryou, resting his forehead against his friend’s.

It was a calming touch. One of respect and kinship between the two as their magic danced around each other. The room seemed darker, but it was comforting. The Shadows wouldn’t hurt them, what was once sinister had become familiar and welcoming. It was their power to control, to manipulate and bend to their wills.

Yugi relaxed, closing his eyes. He heard Ryou sigh softly as their hands found each other and squeezed tightly. They knew each other’s burden, their pain. The others had no clue. Not even Malik, whose other could have counted alongside Atem and Bakura, understood. It was their weight to bear.

Sometimes, being only half a soul was painful.

Ryou faired far better than Yugi, finally free of Akiefa and Zorc’s magic. He was free of the fear and pain the darkness caused. Yet, he mourned for the thief sometimes. He knew of the past of Bakura, of Akiefa. They were one and the same, but Yugi always knew what the name change meant. Bakura was the ruthless spirit, driven by hate and the darkness of Zorc. The thief who stole Ryou’s last name as a curse when his own name was lost with Atem’s. Akiefa, Ryou spoke softer of. He was the ancient thief, who lost everything and saw no justice nor guidance. Who turned to hate and fear after being so wronged.

The topic of Akiefa was danced around with the two vessels, the two _Hikari_ as Bakura named them. Ryou pitied him, and mourned for him. Yugi felt guilty, for a crime that was not his own, nor was it Atem’s.

He wondered, once, what would have happened had Zane and Syrus come to him before everything was resolved. Would Bakura have used them against him? Against Atem? Of course he would have.

“I just want them safe.” Yugi said.

“Sometimes, you can try as hard you can, but things will always play out as they are meant to.”

They stayed like that for a while longer, until soft footsteps in the boys’ room made them part. Ryou smiled as Zane joined them in Yugi’s room. “Seems we have another person who sleeps a bit too heavy during storms.” His voice was lighter again.

Yugi hugged Zane tightly as his son sat down on the floor with them, looking to be still half-asleep. “It’s almost time for lunch if you’re hungry.” He said.

It was best to put his talk with Ryou aside. Zane was insanely perceptive, if something was wrong, he would be able to tell. But Yugi was used to hiding things, he didn’t want to bother his oldest with prophetic dreams and visions of the future.

They would take things as they happened. All Yugi could do was make sure they were prepared, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

Yugi’s next chance to duel didn’t come for another week.

Zane had been sleeping so much during the storm because he had come down with a slight cold. And not to be outdone, Syrus had caught the same cold just as Zane was getting over it. Yugi worried over them endlessly. Their immune systems still weren’t the greatest, and even with Doctor Yamato’s reassurances that a simple cold was nothing to fret over, he found himself staying up late keeping an eye on them.

Seto finally convinced him to sleep before he made himself sick. The oddly colored Blue Eyes came with him, looking at the boys with curious eyes. And the more Yugi was around the dragon, the more he was _sure_ he knew those eyes. They were so familiar, but they were lighter in a way. The same look he had seen in Seto before.

And when he slept, he saw forests and ice and stone. They were connected, but he didn’t know how.

Once the boys were feeling better and Yugi was well rested, he joined the others in the center of town again.

Joey was looking a bit too proud for Yugi’s liking, and the smaller duelist yelped as he was picked up in strong hug. “Guess who’s goin’ to da finals!” Joey grinned.

“That’s great Joey!” Yugi smiled. Syrus cheered with Joey as Zane smiled.

Joey, Mai, Banner, Rebecca, and Malik all had their eight cards. Yugi also learned that Valon, and Crowler had lost all of their cards, leaving them out of the tournament. He didn’t know a person’s voice could get as high as Crowler’s had.

He didn’t inform anyone of the twinge of satisfaction he felt either. _Serves you right for talking bad about Slifers even before the school’s finished._

Serenity and Ryou both had seven cards, Alistair and Sheppard had six, Yugi and Rafael were the last ones with five cards each.

“Alright. I’ll stick with Serenity this time, Ryou? You want to tag along?” Mai asked.

“Sure.” Ryou smiled.

“I’m commin’ too! I don’t wanna miss any of my sisters duels now.” Joey said, his attention turning to Mai.

Rafael walked over to Yugi. “Feel like bringing the kids with us?” He nodded to Alistair. “Let them see a few duels with another machine-type user?”

“I’d be glad to teach them a few tricks.” Alistair smirked. “Machines are a tricky type.”

“Please?” Zane and Syrus turned pleading eyes on Yugi.

Outnumbered, Yugi laughed. “How can I say no to that?”

He found himself trailing behind the group, just watching Alistair and Rafael with his sons. Syrus had brought his deck with him, having gotten a deck holder a few months ago. He was showing it to Alistair, who made a comment every now and then about different spells that would work well with his cards. Zane walked with Rafael, the two didn’t talk much, but Zane’s eyes lit up when Rafael was challenged to a duel.

Yugi pulled the boys to the side to watch the duel, Alistair watching them with sharp yet gentle eyes.

“Syrus reminds me of my brother.” Alistair said as they watched Rafael duel. “He’s a good kid.”

Rafael won easily, and the next duel was Yugi’s to face. Things were getting tougher, with three weeks before the finals, Yugi wondered if they would really make it last for that long. Word going around was that most places that had offered duels for cards had run out of cards over the week, he knew the Shop only had four left, which meant it was just participants dueling.

And most of them were really playing to win. Only the boldest tried to duel him, ones who knew their decks and those who knew of the limitations his own deck had. He was worried about the duel for a little, but he had faith in his deck.

Yugi smiled as he looked at the card he had just drawn. _Hello, Silver._ Zane insisted that he use one of the Cyber Dragons. Being a Light monster, they fit the requirements.  “Alright, I summon Cyber Dragon in attack mode!”

He heard the boys gasp excitedly at seeing Silver in a true duel and smirked. “With no monsters on my side of the field, and one on yours, this counts as a special summon.” The digital card disappeared, and Silver appeared on his field.

“Then I’ll play this, Limiter Removal!” The card Syrus gave him to duel with. “Which doubles my Cyber Dragon’s attack points!”

It was a lucky win. Yugi didn’t keep track of the chances like some duelists did, but he knew it was luck that he had both cards at the same time. The heart of the cards hadn’t failed him. _And I won using their cards._ Yugi smiled at Zane and Syrus. He only needed two more cards.

“You know, I heard Kaiba Corp still has cards.” Rafael pointed out as Yugi walked back over to them.

He was immediately trapped in a hug by his sons. Yugi hugged them back tightly, looking up at Rafael. “What, want to see me beat a modified Blue Eyes deck?” He grinned.

“And take a shot at it myself.”

“Hey, if anyone gets a shot at those dragons it’s me.” Alistair demanded. “As payback for our last duel!”

“Let’s get something to drink and head over there.” Yugi butted in. He knew going to Kaiba Corp was just asking for trouble from Alistair. But Rafael had suggested it, Yugi figured he had a way to keep the younger duelist in line.

They stopped at a small shop on the way to the building. Even in the slightly cold weather, the boys both wanted smoothies. Yugi figured it couldn’t hurt, ordering a strawberry one for Syrus, and mango for Zane. He ordered a hot chocolate for himself, Rafael and Alistair getting coffee.

The drinks would keep the boys happy until lunch. Yugi kept a close eye on them as they led the way to their uncle’s main building. They knew the way for the most part, Yugi couldn’t help the pride he felt at that. And their companions were content to let the boys lead.

Until Zane yelped, his hand covering his mouth as he almost dropped his drink. Syrus caught it and looked worriedly at his brother. “Zane?”

Yugi crouched down next to him, Rafael right beside him. “Zane, are you ok?”

Zane shook his head, and Yugi noticed the tears starting to form. “Let me see Zane.” Yugi moved his hand gently away from his mouth, and blinked in surprise. Zane was holding a tooth. “Your tooth came out!” He smiled reassuringly.

“I-I hit it with the straw on accident.” Zane said softly, grimacing at his own voice. It sounded a bit different with a tooth missing. It one up top near the front.

“That’s fine.” Yugi hummed. What could they put it in to keep it safe until they were home?

“Here.” Alistair was holding out a card sleeve. “I keep a few when I’m buying new cards, but I didn’t get any good ones so I got this one. It can be useful for teeth too I guess.”

Yugi took the sleeve, letting Zane put his tooth in it before putting it in Zane’s jacket pocket. “Don’t let it fall out.” He said.

“And drink more.” Rafael handed him back his smoothie. “The cold will help with any pain.”

Zane took his drink, grateful for the coldness of it.

“Do you want to go home?” Yugi asked. He wouldn’t make Zane go with them, he still looked a bit shaken from the surprise of losing his first tooth. Zane shook his head. “Alright.” Yugi stood up again.

Instead of leading, the boys stayed at his side. Syrus was bugging his brother, wanting to see where the tooth had been. Zane kept his mouth shut, only opening it quickly to take a drink of his smoothie.

“Syrus, you can see later.” Yugi said gently. “How about you find which monster Seto has dueling for the corporation?”

Syrus agreed, looking around. “Blue Eyes?” He pointed to the dragon that was resting just to the side of the main entrance.

The dragon opened his eyes, and Yugi knew it was the strange alternate one. He looked over to the group. _:Looking for a duel?:_ He asked.

 _That voice!_ Yugi _knew_ the voice. The Blue Eyes looked at him amusedly, it’s tail waving calmly on the ground as he stood up and stretched his wings.

 _:Seto put me in charge for the day.:_ The dragon purred. _:Though I must admit, I thought he’d figure it out before you, Yugi. Or at least Mokuba would, though…he does suspect.:_

 _There’s no way!_ Yugi wasn’t sure how to react. _But he’s dead!_

“How…” No wonder, the flashes of forests and glaciers and stones, the way he acted around Seto, the different coloring.

 _:I doubt Seto would’ve let me out if he knew. Guess I should tell him, you two are good friends now, it wouldn’t be fair to make you hide this from him.:_ The dragon roared.

It took almost no time for Seto to be downstairs. “What’s going on?” He demanded, glaring at Yugi and the Blue Eyes.

“Seto…we know who this is.” Yugi didn’t take his eyes off the dragon.

 _:Tell him Yugi. I want to see his face when he finally figures it out too.:_ It was teasing them.

Yugi didn’t have to say anything. The fact that one of his younger dragons caught his attention, and the voice made him tense.

In a flash, Kisara was there. She pinned the younger Blue Eyes, snarling. Yugi could feel Seto’s magic reeling. Shock, anger, and a small sliver of hope were in it, Kisara had reacted to the first two.

The young dragon looked shocked too, staring up at Kisara.

“Wait.”

The calm order came from Seto. Yugi took the second to glance over his shoulder. Alistair and Rafael were standing protectively with the boys, who just looked curious. Seto walked up to his dragons, motioning for Kisara to move off of the Alternate. She did, but continued to growl at him.

“How is this possible?”

 _:Ah, I believe you won’t believe this. But magic.:_ He stood slowly, not wanting to move quickly and risk Kisara attacking him again.

 _Magic?_ Yugi’s eyes widened. _Then…it worked!_

“Magic?” Seto scoffed. “That doesn’t explain much.”

 _:Reincarnation then. All I know is that I woke up after the blast as this. Maybe…it’s magic’s way of giving us a first chance that we never had.:_ The Blue Eyes craned it’s neck forward, nudging Seto’s hand. _:The chance…at really being a family.:_

Yugi hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he sighed in relief as Seto ran his hand gently over the dragon’s muzzle. Kisara calmed down as well, making a noise of curiosity at her master.

“I thought you were lost forever.” Seto murmured, petting the dragon, whose eyes shut slowly with contentment. “Just wait until Mokuba hears about this.”

“Um…Yugi, mind filling us in on what the hell’s going on?”

Alistair yelped at the blow to the back of the head given to him by Rafael. “Language.” Rafael glared, but looked at Yugi for answers.

“Well, we were right.” He started. “This dragon is different from the others. Everyone, meet Noah Kaiba.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! Noah’s here! Fun fact: initial drafts of this story did not include him showing up. It didn’t include a lot of people showing up. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought having Noah as one of the Blue Eyes Alternate White Dragons would fit in pretty damn well. How he’s there is explained in the next chapter.
> 
> Preview for Chapter 11: The preliminaries come to close! Who’s in the finals, and who’s been dropped? How are Noah and Yugi connected? And someone else is joining the group! The original gang is together once again, and at least this tournament isn’t a life or death situation. Not literally at least. It might be socially though.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle City 2.0 part 2: Semi-finals! (And I am an idiot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to leave that little cliffhanger there. But I thought about that part for so long. Canon really gave Noah the short end of every stick. And I see a few fics where Noah had a backup of himself in Kaiba Corp or something, I wanted to take a different route. And it doesn’t get more different than ‘Reincarnated as one of his brothers freakin’ dragons’.
> 
> But here we are! Prelims are done, and the matches are being figured out. Everyone’s limits are taken off and it’s going to be a fun chapter all the way through when it comes to dueling. Like last time, I won’t be typing out the duels. Mainly because that takes forever and gets very boring very quickly. We’ll also learn the winner of Pegasus’ contest. Let’s be real here, you all know who it is! And even more GX characters! (One of which I had to stop watching the damn episode for because I was giggling so hard)
> 
> Get ready for quite a few paragraphs of children being children. And babysitters. And Tea to the rescue! (There won’t be any Tea hate here. Sure she goes a bit overboard with the friendship speeches, but she’s really awesome in her own way just like the others! Everyone needs emotional support, and she’s the best at it.)
> 
> And I’m using the Noah spelling instead of Noa, because Noah is listed on the wiki as the spelling used in the English Dub, which is where the rest of the names come from. So for continuity’s sake, Noah.
> 
> WARNING: Yugi has a sorta panic attack. More of a “Oh god public speaking get me the fuck out of here”. But it shares symptoms with a panic attack. And a little ways down after that, Jagger is an ass and almost says a derogatory name. (but I made Chazz’s mom awesome so he doesn’t get the whole word out) Blood warning for the end of the chapter.

Joey eyed the dragon- Noah- with wariness that Yugi knew well.

The preliminaries were over. The list of finalists included Joey, Serenity, Rebecca, Ryou, Malik, Mai, Alistair, Banner, Shepperd, Rafael, Yugi, and Seto. Three of them couldn’t hold back a groan of disappointment as they saw the other 38 finalists. _Who invited Rex and Weevil?_ Yugi questioned.

There were other names that made them grimace too. Slade Princeton had somehow made it without them seeing him anywhere during the three weeks. Seto said that Jagger had entered as well, but lost within the first three days. Bandit Keith was in as well, Arcana, and the Paradox brothers too.

“Why did you even invite all these people?” Joey asked Seto, not taking his eyes off Noah. “And explain again how your crazy stepbrother is now a _dragon_!”

“They were international finalists.” Seto explained without looking up from his laptop. “Everyone who is entered won their way into the finals. I kept an eye on all duels, no one cheated their way in. And I’ve told you how seven times already.”

Yugi smiled nervously. He was part of the _how_ as to Noah’s reappearance as a Blue Eyes. The younger male had tried to sacrifice himself to save them from Gozaboro, and Yugi felt bad about that. Sure, Noah had tried to kill them at first, but Yugi had a weakness in tragic backstories. And it didn’t get more tragic than Noah’s.

The Puzzle had more magic than he and Atem first realized, and somehow attracted Noah’s soul into a part of it. Yugi knew he was there, but stayed silent. Both Noah and the magic in the Puzzle were too weak to do anything. Thankfully the Shadow Game with Marik hadn’t affected Noah. Then one day, some time after Battle City, he couldn’t feel Noah’s presence in the Puzzle. Atem hadn’t said much on it, only that he was somewhere safer.

That could have meant anything, Yugi didn’t press him to say more. Part of him was afraid that meant Noah’s death. Another part of him realized what Atem was hinting at. Like Set, Noah was just reincarnated. To be honest, Yugi had expected more flare to it. Not just one second having his soul close, and the next second having him gone. It was rather anticlimactic.

He had no idea the reincarnation would happen as a dragon, as a Duel Monster. That on it’s own brought up more questions. Seto had called everyone back the second he was certain it was Noah. Yugi and Rafael were the only two left without eight cards, luckily there were a few duelists in Kaiba Corp that they were able to duel.

Pegasus wasn’t sure how it was possible. A human soul becoming a Duel Spirit. “I’ve heard our own spirits be called ‘Duel Energy’ before, but I don’t think this is what it meant.” He commented.

Noah was something new to both worlds. Mahaad gave them information that only confused them more. They knew of people fusing with their monsters, such as Mahado and Kisara doing so. Those were fusions, however. Two spirits merging into one. Noah was just a single spirit, the body of the Blue Eyes Alternate Dragon that he had become had no spirit before him or with him.

He wasn’t a fusion, only a reincarnation. Seto ran test after test in the two weeks before the Semi-finals, and found nothing but the usual readings he would get off of Noah’s new siblings. The only difference was the magic around them and coloring. Noah’s magic was more like Seto’s, more controlled, stable. Usual magic with dragons was wild, even with the older and more powerful ones.

She let it become visible around her once. The calming blue color didn’t stay in one concentrated spot, it twisted and twirled in the air like fire. When Noah did it, it stayed much smoother, not escaping too far away from him. It looked much like the Shadow Magic of a human from their world, not the Spirit World.

 _Maybe we should pick a name and stick with it._ During the explanation the other dimension had gained quite a few names. Yugi was partial to Spirit World. It was simple, and Spirit sounded so much better than Monster. Mahaad agreed with him and that was enough for Yugi.

All Yugi knew, was that Noah made for a good babysitter as a dragon.

Even as they sat in the meeting before the Semi-finals, Noah leaving to go watch Zane and Syrus with Mokuba. Yugi wasn’t going to keep them in the dull, boring meeting. But his usual babysitters were all there with him, including his grandfather. Noah had looked excited at the chance to prove himself to the others and watch the kids.

Joey, Tristan, and Duke hadn’t been the most trusting. Even though a few years had passed, and they knew of Noah saving Seto, it was still hard to trust him. Tristan did see some poetic justice in Noah being stuck in a body that wasn’t his human one though. Mokuba thought it was a great idea for Noah to babysit, and offered to stay with them. He had heard everything that was going to be in the meeting beforehand. Seto agreed and let him and Noah watch their nephews.

Yugi leaned back in his chair. Before Joey had veered the meeting off course with his questions of Noah, they were just going over the list of who was participating. Yugi recognized quite a few, but there were more newcomers than friendly faces.

Together, those in the meeting only added up to twelve spots. Around thirty of the other spots were filled with people Yugi didn’t know. So far, Seto had only said that they wouldn’t be facing each other in the first rounds.

“The tournament is set into two brackets.” Seto finally slammed his hand on the desk, glaring at Joey to drop the subject of his stepbrother. They had to get back on track, with a strict deadline for the day. “Six of us on one side, the other six on the other. All I can say is that Yugi, Joey, Serenity, Banner, Alistair, and Mai are on one side, the rest including myself are on the other.”

“Figures you put Yugi on the opposite bracket of your own.” Mai laughed. “Want us to tire him out for you?”

Yugi spun his chair in a short arch, smirking into his glass of water. The semi-finals and finals were when the limitations were lifted. Everyone was expected to go all out. He had seen Ryou and Joey’s decks the night before, and he couldn’t wait to face Joey. Or Banner for that matter. He had no idea how the teacher dueled or what his deck consisted of. Just from hearing rumors on the streets, he knew his best bet would be to keep using Light and Dark. It sounded like Banner could counter anything else without difficulty.

“As if you could.” Malik grinned. “By the way Seto, if this is a ‘go all out without limits’, does that mean the God Cards are good to use?”

“No.” Seto replied automatically. “I know you still have a fake one, crazy guardian, but you’ll come to find out that even the digital disks react to fake cards.”

“So you’re not just gonna pull Obelisk out of the ground if things look bad?”

Yugi heard about Seto doing that against Diva. It made him wonder if he couldn’t summon Slifer in the same way. Or even Ra. _The magical strain might kill me if I try._ He thought. “No God Cards. And the usual ban list stands.” He said.

“But be prepared to do summons outside of duels.” Seto stood up straighter. “Everyone. Things have been going well so far, but that’s always a bad thing.”

“No shit.” Alistair muttered.

“There’s been no word on the thing that attacked Yugi. And while the Quantum Cube is safely locked in a dampening room, the other Items are more than likely still around.” Seto ignored Alistair’s comment. “Along with the fact that Zane and Syrus will be attending. They’ll be kept far away from the cameras in the VIP room, but there will be a few new faces up there as well. If they accidentally summon a Cyber Dragon, we may have to interfere.”

Seto sighed. “Not to mention there’s someone new joining them today…And we have no clue how they will react. Be ready for anything.”

Yugi stopped spinning. _Right._ Pegasus chose a winner for his contest.

The kid had matched the new monsters perfectly, from what his toons said.

And it was the first day of the Semi-finals, meaning Pegasus had brought the kid with him. Yugi’s magic reached out. He could feel Seto, Ryou, and Malik in the room with him. Noah was in the other room with Zane and Syrus. There was no sign of Pegasus or the kid.

He pulled back, sitting up straighter. “Did Pegasus say anything else about them?”

Seto shook his head. “No. He’s been very selective with his words about the winner.”

The others had their own ideas as to who the winner was. Yugi heard it all, some thought it could be someone older than his grandfather, some guessed they would be around Rebecca’s age, Yugi himself guessed it was younger, around Zane or Syrus’ age. Pegasus had told him and Seto it was a kid after all. He let his magic reach out again, this time just to Seto. It was tinged with a question, only to get a sharp prod in reply.

Yugi poked back, getting another sigh from the CEO. It always happened during meetings of any kind, Yugi would get bored quickly and found entertainment in starting a sort of magical poke war. Usually it would be one-sided, unless the meeting was someone droning on and on about finances that Seto already knew about. Then he would react if only to keep Yugi in line.

A bored Yugi, Seto found, was a dangerous one. He wasn’t interested in all the business talk, most of it went over his head. Half the time was spent with him translating as much as he could into the ancient Egyptian language. Another quarter of it was spent writing spells. The last quarter was using said spells.

 _I bet he wishes I never learned how to do that._ Yugi thought. There was no answering nudge to his magic, instead another magic drew his attention. _Ryou._

It had been a while since he had relaxed and let his magic play with the British duelist. They knew what the rest of the meeting was going to be. Seto reminding everyone how to behave until Pegasus finally arrived. Then they would get to meet the winner of his drawing contest. Not everyone at once of course, but Seto would take Yugi, Ryou, and Malik. And Joey, there was no way the blond was going to be left out.

The magical playing came to an abrupt stop as the doors slammed open. Roland, Mokuba, and Pegasus standing in the doorway. “Seto! There’s a problem!”

“What?” Seto narrowed his eyes. “…Don’t tell me-“

“Zane and Syrus are missing! So’s the contest winner!”

 

* * *

 

Stories could hold Zane and Syrus’ attentions for only so long, especially ones that their dad had already told them.

“That’s not how it went!” Mokuba protested, looking at Noah. “You know, Yugi doesn’t like people lying to them.”

 _We don’t like lies too._ Zane thought. While Yugi was in some sort of meeting, Mokuba and Noah were watching them. He said it would be long and boring, not something the boys would want to sit through. It had to be better than what they were sitting in now.

There were toys, games, books, all things they had played with before. And Yugi said for them not to summon Cyber or the others. They didn’t need to, Zane knew, because not much would want to go up against a Blue Eyes, even a younger one.

But Noah and Mokuba seemed more interested in each other. From what Zane heard, they were stepbrothers. He didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it had the word _brother_ in it, so they had to be that. Brothers, like him and Syrus. Of course they would want to spend more time together. They had been separated.

Zane would want to spend time with Syrus if they were separated for years. Actually, he didn’t want to _think_ about being separated from Syrus for that long.

So when he felt a tug on his magic, he looked over at his brother to see him near the door. The semi-open door. Had the lady who brought in snacks a while ago really been that careless?

He looked back over to Mokuba and Noah. They were arguing over the story Noah had been telling, paying no attention to them. _Dad did say we were in Uncle Seto’s work place. And he would show us around. Should we wait?_

The answer was clear as soon as Syrus was out the door. Waiting wasn’t an option now. He had to be a good big brother and keep an eye on Syrus. If they saw part of the building while he was doing that, then it was… _what did Uncle Joey say that was? Killing two birds with one stone?_ He didn’t want to kill birds, but he could do both at once; watch Syrus and see more of Kaiba Corp.

Keeping his magic trained on Syrus, he followed his younger brother out the door. “What are you doing?” He asked as he walked into the hallway.

“I wanna see.” Syrus said. “Uncle Seto work here. Daddy took us in this room before.”

“It’s a hallway, not a room.” Zane corrected. “You’re right though, it looks familiar.” Their Uncle’s office was nearby. Or, he thought it was. Peering out the window, Zane realized they weren’t on the top floor where the office was. The ground was too close. “I think we’re on the second floor.”

“Not Uncle Seto’s floor?”

“Nope. He’s at the top. And we’re not there.” Zane shrugged, moving away from the window. They could find their way around. He knew where the elevators were, and that was what their dad took them in before.

He reached out with his magic. Everyone was on the same floor. He could feel Noah’s magic spiking, he was arguing. But his family’s magic was calm in the room next to the one they were just in. Zane looked down at his duel disk.

It was different from the others. He was still surprised that it was a true duel disk at all, it looked like a normal bracelet. But Uncle Seto and his dad had the same, and he watched Yugi duel with his. Zane just needed to learn how to work it.

“Zane, follow!” Syrus grabbed his brother’s hand, tugging him down the hallway.

“Where are we going?”

“I felt something new!”

 _New?_ Zane wrapped his magic around Syrus’, letting it lead his along the same trail they were now following. He blinked when he realized Syrus was right. He could feel Pegasus’ magic, along with new magic right beside it. _Someone else with our magic._

Zane stopped, pulling Syrus back. “Wait. We don’t know who it is.”

“But Grandpa Pegasus is with them, so they okay.” Syrus argued.

“What if he caught whoever it is and they’re a bad person?” Zane reasoned.

Syrus shook his head. “Grandpa would call daddy. And daddy would be with us.” He pointed out.

Zane thought for a second. Syrus had a point. If the person was dangerous, there would have been warning. There _should_ have been warning the second Pegasus walked in anyway. “Sy, is Pegasus reacting to the magic?”

“No.” Syrus replied. “Just me. It’s nice magic.”

The two followed the hallway to a set of stairs. The magic was on the first floor then. Zane looked at the steps. They looked closer together than the stairs at home. “I’ll go first. Stay right behind me.” He took a few steps, letting Syrus catch up before continuing.

He wouldn’t let Syrus fall down the stairs. Even if they looked smaller, there were more of them. Falling would really hurt his brother.

_“You stupid, worthless thing. Clean up these stairs! Filthy freak blood stains worse.”_

Zane slowed down, stopping on the second to last step with his eyes darting around as he fully realized what they were doing. They were sneaking away from their babysitters, in a building that they didn’t know. No one knew where they were. And even though Yugi said the building was safe, Zane wasn’t too trusting of that.

“Sy, we should go back.” He kept his tone level, not giving away the panic that was threatening to start.

“But we down here now.” Syrus said, getting down the last few steps. “And the magic strong.”

“We don’t _know_ that magic.” Zane protested. “Or anyone else here.”

“We know grandpa.” The younger argued.

“Can you see him?” Zane asked.

Syrus looked around, reaching out with his magic. “No…” Realization dawned on Syrus.

They were alone, surrounded by unfamiliar people. The second floor was for meetings, so the hallway was clear, but the first floor Yugi had called the lobby, and it was full of people. Syrus backed up with a whimper, grabbing Zane’s hand.

Heading back upstairs was the best idea. Zane tugged Syrus up the first step, but a loud voice startled the two and had Zane pulling him to hide in the shadows of the stairwell instead. His magic was on edge, the call for Cyber stuck in his throat. Syrus looked ready to cry, Zane didn’t want him to, if someone had to come rescue them, they’d be in trouble for sure.

“Are you lost?”

Zane froze. _Behind us?_ He hadn’t noticed anyone! Spinning around, he figured out why he hadn’t noticed             quickly. It was another kid, probably somewhere between his age and Syrus’. Magic had concealed him in the shadows.

 _The person dad told us about!_ Zane thought. “We’re not lost. This is our uncle’s building.”

Syrus moved closer to Zane, looking curiously at the new person. “You have magic.” He said.

“Huh?” The kid looked confused. “I guess, if that’s what all this is. Pegasus said the same thing.”

“Where is he?” Zane asked.

“Don’t know. He told me to wait there,” he pointed to a bench out in the open, “but there was something over here, I wanted to check it out.”

“What was it?”

“This thing.” He held up a scale. “It feels almost like Yubel does.”

“Who?”

This kid was weird, Zane decided. Syrus seemed to like him enough, he moved away from Zane’s side to stand closer to the new boy. “Better question, who are _you_.” Zane asked.

“I’m Jaden Yuki!” Jaden smiled. “I’m four, and I won Peagsus’ contest so I get to meet the finalists of Seto Kaiba’s tournament!”

He was the boy their dad said would be there today. Zane didn’t know much about the contest, drawing was more Syrus’ thing, Zane was more interested in the tournament. “I’m Zane,” he pointed to himself, “this is Syrus.” He pointed to his brother.

“Wait, did you say this is your _uncle’s_ building? Seto Kaiba is your uncle?!”

_That’s what he focuses on?_

Syrus nodded, a small smile on his face. “Uncle Seto! But daddy calls him co’sin sometimes.”

“Cousin.” Zane corrected immediately.

“Cool.” Jaden was grinning now. “You know your way around then?”

Zane looked around. He did know the first floor. Usually the adults carried them through it, so they only spent a little time in the crowded lobby. He did find the elevators, and got an idea. “We know how to get to Uncle Seto’s office.” He said.

“Let’s go then!”

“Can we Zane?” Syrus looked up at his brother. “What ‘bout Uncle Mokie and Noah?”

“Now you’re worried?” Zane questioned. “They’re probably still arguing.”

“Come on Syrus! It’ll be fun to explore!” Jaden grabbed Syrus’ free hand excitedly. “And there’s time before the duels start, right?”

Jaden had a point. When the meeting started, Yugi said he would come to get them in four hours. There was no way it had already been four hours. Zane had trouble with time, but he knew four hours was a long time. They could go see their Uncle’s office.

 _Kisara might be there._ She would take them back to the others, but she always talked about hatchlings liking to wander. Zane didn’t know what wander meant, but it couldn’t be bad. She was laughing when she said it. Maybe she would be proud of them.

“I know how to get there.” Zane took the lead, shoving down the slight panic he felt when looking out into the lobby. The elevators were close by, he didn’t have to go near the crowded areas.

Hitting the button for an elevator to open was easy. Once the three were inside, the trouble began. They stood around the buttons, staring at the one for the top floor. It was out of their reach.

“Aw man.” Jaden sighed. “Wait! Maybe we can still reach it!” He tried jumping up. “Oops!” He hit the button for the twenty-fifth floor. The elevator shut, bringing them up. Jaden stared out of the glass doors, watching the ground grow further and further away with Syrus.

“There’s another way.” Zane remembered. When Yugi didn’t have a free hand…he scanned his disk! Zane looked at his wrist, his duel disk was activated.

He held it up to the scanner.

**_:Authorization activated. Disk 006, Zane Mutou. State your destination.:_ **

“…What?” All three children replied.

“State your des’inat’on?” Syrus asked.

“Dad’s gonna know we were here now.” Zane muttered.

“You have a duel disk?!”

Zane and Syrus looked at Jaden. They were stuck on a talking elevator, and he had focused on the duel disk.

“It’s different from the real ones.” Jaden pouted.

“It’s real.” Zane said defensively. “Like my dad’s and Uncle Seto’s.”

 ** _:State your destination.:_** The voice demanded again.

“Uncle Seto’s room!” Syrus chirped.

**_:Top floor selected.:_ **

The elevator moved past the twenty-fifth floor, and the three sighed in relief. There was not much to do but wait for it to reach the top floor.

Zane held up his duel disk for Jaden to see while they waited. “It’s digital.” Zane had figured out how to activate the duel part of the bracelet, he hadn’t told Yugi that. He activated it, the holographic card holder coming up along his arm. “See? It uses digital copies of my cards.”

“Woah, so can you duel? Wanna duel against me? I’ve been learning!” Jaden asked.

“I can’t duel yet.” Zane turned it off. “Dad said he’ll teach me after the tournament.”

“That’s awesome! Everyone should know how to duel.” Jaden announced. “What about you Sy?”

 _Don’t use that nickname._ Zane bristled. It was his nickname for his brother. Only family could use it!

“I have a deck!” Syrus answered. “But I don’ know how to duel.”

“I can teach him when I learn.” Zane said.

The elevator doors opened, and the boys looked wide-eyed at the hallway. They got off the elevator before it closed again and Jaden looked at Zane. “Which way now?”

Zane looked up and down the hallway. Which way was right? “That way.” He pointed down the hallway, leading the way again. Syrus followed, grabbing his hand and humming happily as he grabbed Jaden’s hand too.

Syrus was quick to make friends, Zane noticed that ages ago. He wasn’t as trusting. They didn’t have anyone their age to interact with either. Being homeschooled and unable to handle large crowds kept them home most days. That was fine for Zane. He liked it being just him and his brother and dad and grandpa. And Uncle Seto and Uncle Joey came over to visit a lot.

Walking down the hallway, Zane realized he had taken them the wrong way. “Umm…” He looked around.

Nothing seemed familiar.

“Are we lost?” Jaden tilted his head.

“No!” Zane denied. “I just…wonder if Uncle Seto would really like us in his office when he isn’t there.” He huffed.

“ _You_ were the one to offer to take us there.” Jaden said. “What could happen?”

“We get in trouble.” Syrus said. “Daddy wouldn’t be happy.”

“Well, I don’t got one of those. Or a mom.” Jaden shrugged. “So I don’t gotta worry ‘bout that.”

Zane stopped. “You don’t have parents?”

Jaden shook his head. “Nope. They didn’t want me. Probably because of that magic stuff you talked about. So Yubel took care of if.”

He didn’t know what that meant, but a chill went down Zane’s spine at the words. Whoever Yubel was, Zane didn’t want to meet them. “They were like our father…”

“Huh?”

“Me and Sy are adopted.” Zane decided it would be fine to tell Jaden, if he was really like them. “Dad saved us from being killed or left in the streets with Cyber.”

“He sounds nice.”

Zane nodded slowly and looked around. Finally, he found something familiar. The secretary’s desk! They were at Seto’s office then! “It’s in here!”

He marched into the room, only to realize his mistake. It wasn’t Seto’s office, but a completely different one. They had never seen that room before.

“Zane…we lost…” Syrus whimpered. Zane turned around quickly, looking alarmed as Syrus started to cry. “I want daddy!”

Syrus cried as Zane and Jaden tried to soothe him. Both boys looking alarmed as nothing worked. The voice from the elevator sounded again, but Zane couldn’t make out what it was saying as Syrus cried louder. Zane and Jaden were close to crying too.

“What the- Zane? Syrus?”

Zane turned to the door. “Aunt Tea!” He cried, running over to her. It was strange, seeing her in person instead of through Skype, but she was the first friendly face they saw since sneaking off.

Tea crouched down, hugging Zane. “It’s alright, come here Syrus, you too Jaden.”

“H-how do you know my name?” Jaden wiped at his eyes.

“Pegasus is looking for you, he’s worried.” Tea hugged the three boys. “It’s okay. How about we get you back to the others?”

She stood up, holding Syrus in one arm and letting Zane hold her free hand. Jaden grabbed Zane’s other hand, not wanting to be left behind. Instead of heading to the elevators like Zane thought she would, she took them down a different hallway, one that Zane did recognize. They were heading for Seto’s office.

“Is dad mad?” He asked in a small voice.

“Oh Zane, you know Yugi could never be mad at you two.” Tea smiled. “He’s just worried. And mad at Mokuba for not watching you.”

“It wasn’t his fault!” Zane protested. “We ran off on our own.”

“Yes, and you shouldn’t have.” Tea agreed and scolded lightly. “No one knew where you were. And while Kaiba Corp has top security, it’s still dangerous for you to go running off on your own. But Mokuba is almost an adult, and was your babysitter. He should have kept an eye on you.”

“I was the one who wanted to see Seto Kaiba’s office.” Jaden said. “It’s my fault we got lost. Zane and Syrus were just on the first floor with me before.”

“We’ll let Yugi and Pegasus decide what to do, okay? They’re your guardians.”

 

* * *

 

Yugi paced frantically in Seto’s office. He, Seto, and Pegasus were there while the others searched for the children. “It’s the only office they know, they might already be there.” Joey reasoned to get Yugi to go with the two CEOs. “If not, we’ll find them.”

It had been thirty minutes since Mokuba noticed the boys gone. And it could have been an hour before it took him to even notice!

Seto had only just finished scolding Mokuba and Noah. The latter was back in the Spirit World with Kisara continuing to scold him, the former was in time-out.

“If you are going to argue like children, you’ll be treated like children.” Seto had growled.

Mokuba was sitting in a chair in the corner. He still had another twenty minutes before Seto would even think about letting him move. Yugi, however, was free to move as he pleased. And so he paced.

“Yugi! I believe you’re missing something?”

 _Tea?_ He knew that teasing tone anywhere! “You found them!” Yugi didn’t wait for her to walk into the room before rushing over, Pegasus with him. The smaller duelist picked up Zane, ignoring the squeak of protest, and carried him in.

“Are you alright Jaden?” Pegasus asked.

“’M ok.” Jaden replied. “It’s my fault we got lost. I wanted to see the building.”

Yugi sat on the couch in the room, Zane clinging to him. Tea sat down next to him and it took no time for Syrus to scramble over to Yugi as well. “I found them in Mokuba’s office. I think Zane was trying to lead them here, but took a wrong turn.”

Seto left his desk to sit on Yugi’s other side, putting a comforting hand on Zane’s back. “Are you three okay?” He asked.

Zane nodded, not looking up. “We okay.” Syrus replied softly.

“Thank Ra you’re alright.” Yugi hugged them tightly. “Thank you for finding them Tea.”

“Don’t worry Yugi.” Tea smiled. “At least I finally get to meet my nephews in person. And Pegasus’ contest winner.” She looked over to Jaden, who still seemed a bit shaken. “Come on over Jaden. I’m sure a little duelist like yourself would love to meet the King of Games, right?”

He looked up at Pegasus for permission before walking over, eyes bright with disbelief. “You didn’t say your dad was the _King of Games_!” He whispered to Zane and Syrus, awestruck.

“Didn’t the elevator saying my last name give it away?” Zane muttered.

“Be nice Zane.” Yugi said, smiling at Jaden. “So, you’re the winner of Pegasus’ contest? Congratulations.”

Jaden nodded. Tea helped him onto the couch to sit next to Yugi. “Yeah. He said my designs were the best!”

“Maybe I’ll get a chance to see them.”

Pegasus nodded in agreement. “Yes, then they are going into a space capsule.”

Yugi looked confused. _All that, just to send the cards to space?_ He looked from Pegasus to Seto, hoping one of them would explain.

“Later.” Seto said, walking over. “We have to go soon. I can probably get away with rigging the opponent randomizer so you’re duel isn’t until later if you want.”

Yugi shook his head. “No, it’s alright. The boys are ok.” He could feel their magic, letting his own wash over them soothingly. He couldn’t help the look of surprise as he received three answering pokes to his magic. “So, Jaden has Shadow Magic too?” The newest magic, Yugi had felt it before…

“What is that?” Jaden asked. “Zane said I had magic too.”

Pegasus looked apologetic as Yugi glared at him. _You didn’t tell him?!_ Pegasus had to have known of Jaden’s magic. It was wild, going everywhere and poking at everything, even Tea, though she didn’t react to it. The real shock was how dark it felt. It felt… _Like Atem’s…_

“It’s a long story Jaden.” Yugi said. “But magic isn’t a bad thing.”

Seto checked the time on his disk. “We don’t have time to explain it in full.”

“I can tell him as much as I know, and you can fill in the gaps later.” Tea offered. “And I’ll watch them while you guys duel.”

Yugi nodded. “Thank you Tea.” He said gratefully.

“No problem. Oh, and Yugi? Maybe you want to tell the others that the boys have been found?”

 

* * *

 

It was a frantic dash to inform the others the boys were found in the rapidly shortening time span before the semi-finals were to kick off. Everyone was relieved they were found and were safe, Joey instantly clicking with Jaden as they talked about duel monsters.

They traveled together in two limos to the tournament site. Seto had managed to make _another_ duel dome, there was no other word for it that Yugi could think of. It was bigger than an American football stadium, bigger than most concert halls. Eight sections were divided off, they could hold the entirety of the first final duels at once probably. But Seto liked to draw things out, the first day would have, hopefully, six duels.

With fifty finalists, it came down to twenty-five pairs. One side of the bracket would have thirteen pairs, the other twelve. Yugi was on the side with thirteen, giving more people a chance at the King of Games before the Finals. Pairs were decided randomly, as was the order they went in.

To make sure no one could be accused of cheating, roulette boards would be used. While the display was digital, the spinning of one was not. Pegasus would spin it. It would hold the pictures of the duelists in one side of the bracket, and once someone was chosen, their picture would be taken off and the others pictures would adjust size accordingly until only two were left.

The Finals would all be decided at once on the first day. Then the first pairs chosen on either side of the bracket would duel. That was where the first snag Yugi caught would hit. Someone would be sitting out the second round. Fifty would become twenty-five, but even with someone sitting out, twenty-four would become twelve, making the odd one out thirteen.

So the person sitting out round two- the person who was fastest to collect all the locator cards- would instead duel the person nearest in the bracket to them. The fastest was the national champion from Spain, so he would duel whoever won their second round duel and was closest to him in the bracket.

Should he lose, the second fastest- one of China’s champions- would be the one to sit out, and so on.

“It’s huge.” Zane looked out the window of the limo at the dueling stadium.

Yugi smiled, watching all three boys stare out at the building. It was one of the largest Kaiba Corp buildings. And walking up to it, Yugi shared their amazement.

“Geeze Kaiba, one would think you’re compensating for something.” Malik smirked, walking with Yugi and Ryou. The three boys walked in front of them, staying close to Yugi but wanting to explore the building.

“More like he’s showing off without exposing anything.” Joey muttered. Seto wrapped an arm around his waist, a warning to not say more.

It was inevitable, the cameras. And without rehearsing or speaking to each other about it, the others seemed to box Yugi and the boys in. Seto drew in most of the reporter and paparazzi attention with the blatant affection he was showing Joey. Some still tried to ask Yugi a few questions, or get good pictures of the boys.

He didn’t need to look to see how uncomfortable all three were. Zane was almost glaring every time a camera flashed, pulling Syrus to hide behind him. Jaden tried to hide too.

“Enough. Perhaps a better story will be of more use than blurry pictures?” Pegasus stepped in. “I’m sure a story on the new Industrial Illusions Orphanage will fetch quite the price in any country.”

That drew most of the attention, enough for the others to get in without difficulty. Yugi picked up Syrus then, Ryou picking up Zane and Joey picking up Jaden. “Second to the top floor is the VIP section.”

“We’ll stay with them Yugi, don’t worry.” Tristan promised, Duke and Tea nodding behind him. “You guys just focus on winning this thing!”

Even if they didn’t duel today, the finalists had to sit together and watch the duels. Watching two at once was going to be hard, but luckily they only had to watch the duel of their bracket. The audience would have time to move around between the choosing and the duels, so they could watch their favorite, or move to the higher seating where they could see both. Commentary would be available for both to assist with what they couldn’t hear from the arenas. And specialized tablets attached to the seats would give the people who chose to watch both a chance to see up close video of the duels.

Seto had thought of mostly everything with the new stadium dome. Yugi still thought there were a few kinks to be smoothed out. Like the VIP viewing, which was indoors, in air conditioning, but was a large room. All of the VIP guests would be in the same room. It made Yugi a bit apprehensive, even with his friends watching Zane and Syrus.

He wanted to stay with them if he wasn’t dueling.

“Yug’, if I ain’t duelin’, I’m gonna be up there too.” Joey reassured him. “I dare Kaiba to try and stop me.”

There was a faint rumble of agreement from the deck in Joey’s duel disk. Red would be there too, and Joey and Tristan together were a fighting force not many wanted to stand up against. Yugi trusted them more than Kaiba’s security.

“Right.”

They took the boys in, noticing most of the VIP guests were already there. Yugi relaxed further when he saw Amanda. “Oh thank Ra.” He sighed as she came over.

“I wondered if you would bring them!” She smiled. “Oh, and a third, Yugi?”

“Jaden is Pegasus’ contest winner. He gets to meet everyone tomorrow.” Yugi explained. They had pushed back the meetings a day, the four-year-old had met most of the group in the limo ride anyway. “Zane and Syrus are mine.”

“They’re all adorable.”

Yugi recognized a few other faces. Amanda’s son Jagger, Doctor Crowler, and Valon were there. Nervousness was forgotten in the boys as they ran over to the large windows to look at the arenas.

“We’re gonna duel there some day!” Jaden grinned. “And I’m gonna be the new King of Games!”

 _Honestly…I’m sure you will be._ Yugi smiled softly at his enthusiasm. _But don’t think Zane and Syrus will make it easy for you._

With the boys settled, the finalists headed down to the arena themselves. Yugi lingered a bit, almost choosing to stay, but a firm hand on his back made him walk out of the room. Malik grinned, leading Yugi towards the elevators.

“Who would’ve thought you’d have such maternal instincts.” He teased. “I’m surprised they’re not calling you ‘mom’.”

“I wouldn’t care if they did.” Yugi retorted. “It’s just a word. Every word is unisex if you want it to be.”

“Sassy.” Malik laughed. “Alright, game time. You know the fans are expecting the confident Yugi to be here.”

“Sorry, Atem’s not home at the moment.”

Ahead of them Joey gave a snort of laughter as Ryou tried hard not to laugh. Seto gave a long-suffering sigh, and Pegasus chuckled.

“Pegasus, where is Jaden from?” Yugi asked, turning the attention to the small boy. _He seems familiar…_ “And how old is he?”

“He’s four.” Pegasus sounded distracted, wary. “And from Japan.”

“City?”

“Kyoto…I believe.”

“You believe?” Malik spoke up. “Didn’t you pick him up yourself?”

The CEO nodded slowly. “I did.”

Yugi narrowed his eyes. Pegasus was giving very vague answers, that was never a good thing. “Was he…like Zane and Syrus?”

Pegasus stopped in front of the elevator. “Sold? No. Abused? I…have my suspicions.”

Seto looked at him. “Did you meet his parents.”

“What parents?” Pegasus answered with the question. “He delivered the cards himself to my offices in Kyoto. And was there when I went to collect him as well. I’ve asked him about his parents…his answer made me perfectly fine with taking him without their permission.”

Joey tensed next to Seto. “What did he say?”

“He didn’t know how his parents felt about him winning the contest, because he hasn’t seen them in roughly a year and a half, when they dropped him off at an orphanage. The reason he told me was because they couldn’t handle ‘someone who can make those disgusting monsters appear again’.”

Yugi winced, matching grimaces fell on Malik and Ryou’s faces. Joey growled, but yelped when Seto’s grip on his waist tightened too much.

He knew the world didn’t just forget all the times the barrier between dimensions was breached. Sure, militaries could be bribed to look the other way and not investigate, but the memory was still there. The destruction was still there. The deaths…

“So was there anyone at the orphanage to contact?” Seto asked tensely as they got onto the elevator.

“I wouldn’t know. He was put into foster care.” Pegasus answered. “However, there’s no record of it.”

“So then…he’s homeless?” Joey asked softly.

Pegasus nodded sadly. “Not anymore. He’s staying with me while I’m in Domino.”

“And after this is all over?” Yugi asked.

“We’ll figure something out.”

The elevator reached the bottom floor and talk of it stopped. There would be reporters everywhere, no one wanted the situation out in the public. Pegasus had been right, they would work something out.

Yugi wanted to offer to take him, but he had his hands full with Zane and Syrus. Even with all the progress the boys had made, there were still bumps and even complete reversals sometimes. Like with Zane losing his tooth; he was fine out in public about it, but the second they were home, he let his fear about it known. It wouldn’t be smart, or fair to any of the boys, to take in Jaden as well.

He had magic, so it would be best if one of them took him in. Someone who could teach him about magic and help him control it. From what Yugi could feel, Jaden’s magic was the darkest out of all of their magic. It wasn’t a bad thing, Atem’s magic had been the darkest for the most part, second only to Bakura and Zorc’s. Dark seemed to be synonymous with powerful when it came to Shadow Magic. As did light, Yugi’s was almost a blinding white if left idle around him without calling upon the Shadows, Malik always complained about the power in it even when it was idle.

Jaden’s magic felt much like Atem’s. Yugi didn’t know what that meant, if it meant anything at all. He pushed the thoughts aside as they walked out to the arena. Cameras flashed as they joined the others. Seto, Pegasus, and Yugi walked onto the raised stage, the other finalists gathered on the floor in front of the stage.

Pegasus made his announcement first, about who had won his contest. Yugi had to applaud how he didn’t mention a last name or description, and covered that with over-the-top praise that reporters ate up.

“He’s spending time with two other young ones who are here to watch the duels. It’s sad that your sons must watch one of these finalists take your throne Yugi-boy.” Pegasus teased, gaining laughs and applause from everyone in the stadium.

Yugi just smiled, feeling a bit uncomfortable up on stage. Atem always handled things like that, Yugi was usually too shy to. His heart was hammering in his chest. Public speaking wasn’t his thing. Really, he almost envied how easy it was for Pegasus and Seto. Pegasus was so upbeat and outgoing with his speeches, and Seto’s hardened tone and confidence drew everyone in when he spoke.

Yugi was far better at giving speeches to friends, not thousands of strangers.

Thankfully, the brush to his magic had him stepping back with Pegasus as Seto stepped forward. He didn’t have to talk, Seto would do that for him. He just had to ‘stand and look pretty’, as Joey put it.

“These forty-eight, plus myself and Yugi, are the finalists of this competition!” The confident tone, almost arrogant, was comforting. “Now, the roulette board will chose the pairings! The first three pairs from each bracket will duel today, should things work out in a timely manner.”

Pegasus hit the button, and everyone watches the roulette spin. The bracket Yugi was in would be chosen from first.

“First duelist…Serenity Wheeler!” Pegasus announced. “And her opponent,” the wheel spun again, “Rex Raptor!”

Yugi smiled. Rex had fallen out of many of the pro leagues, but he was still far above rookie levels. Serenity wouldn’t have an easy win from him.

“And our next pair,” the wheel spun, holding names of contestants from the other bracket, “well well, it’s Kaiba-boy! And his opponent…The D!”

Yugi bit the inside of his lip. He could hear Joey’s snort from where the finalists were gathered. Parenthood hadn’t chased away all the immaturity. The pharaoh watched Joey elbow Rebecca, who looked close to laughing too. Rafael, sitting on Rebecca’s other side, shook his head at the two.

“Next pairing, Yugi-boy!” Yugi barely hid a groan of disappointment. He had hoped to sneak away to stay with the boys. But with a duel, he would have to stay put. “And Slade Princeton!”

So he would be going up against Amanda’s oldest son. The one who managed to work his way into politics at a young age. It was strange that he and Jagger would participate in the tournament, they didn’t seem to have any interest in the game at the party.

The last three match-ups were Weevil against one of the United State champions, Rebecca was dueling one of the Russian finalists, and Alistair against Banner.

The others were chosen that day as well, and would duel over the course of- hopefully- four days. Seto did allow some leeway if duels went over or were shorter. There was no true time limit on duels, but it was a good idea to wrap them up within no more than two hours.

It was a lot of time, but not enough for Yugi to sneak off. Pegasus made sure he was sitting with the others, and warned Rebecca to not let him escape. Looking around, Yugi realized Joey must have been able to get away when no one was looking.

 _He wanted to talk to Jaden._ Joey wasn’t dueling that day. And the VIP room would give him a better view of Seto and Serenity’s duels as well.

Yugi sighed. He would just have to trust his friends. They wouldn’t let anything happen to Zane and Syrus. And hopefully, Zane and Syrus wouldn’t be any trouble for them.

 

* * *

 

“I want daddy!”

Zane flinched at the loud tone. When it was announced that their dad would be dueling, Syrus had begun crying. He didn’t know why, it would be fun to watch Yugi duel using his real deck.

They had moved away from the window, Tea was worried about them being so close to the large glass. It stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and Zane heard her say something about it breaking. He looked at the window again. It didn’t seem like it could break. The three still listened- Jaden sticking with them- and they moved to sit on one of the soft sofas in the room.

Zane chose the spot nearest the window. There were too many people in the room, but his dad told them to stay put. And he seemed to know one of the people here, the nice woman who was trying to help Tea calm Syrus down. _Dad said her name was…Amanda?_ She said her son was in the tournament. _One day, dad’ll be up here watching_ me _duel._ He thought.

“Syrus sweetie, you’ll see him soon.” Amanda promised. “Don’t you want him to win?”

Syrus sniffed, resting his head on Tea’s shoulder as she bounced him gently. “I want daddy to win and be here.”

“Too bad Slade’s gonna beat him.”

Zane frowned. There was another kid there besides them. He looked closer to Yugi in age though, and sounded far nastier.  He didn’t like whoever it was, the kid looked like Amanda. Did she have two sons?

“No! Daddy win!” Syrus cried.

“Jagger! Go sit down.” Amanda ordered. “Watch the duels.”

Jagger scoffed. “What? It’s true. Slade’s gonna beat the que-“

“Finish that sentence and you’ll miss the duels because you’ll be in the hall getting a whopping.” Amanda glared. “Go sit down Jagger Nicolas.”

Middle name. Zane knew that meant someone was in trouble. Yugi only used it once on him, when he said a bad word that Silver taught him after Yugi told him not to say it.

“Daddy win!” Syrus began crying again, alarming the four adults trying to comfort him. Duke had no clue how to, Tristan was only a little better. Both were from single child families, they never had to deal with crying siblings. Neither did Tea, but she was at least trying something.

“He will Sy, don’t worry.” She soothed, bouncing him. “It’s alright.”

Zane covered his ears. Syrus was crying loudly, and he knew he couldn’t help him calm him down. If Syrus wanted their dad, nothing short of getting Yugi would calm him down. Jaden sat in much the same position as Zane, looking worriedly at Syrus.

“Of course Yug’ will win! Syrus, are you doubting th’ King o’ Games?”

Joey’s appearance made everyone sigh in relief. Syrus still cried, holding out his arms for Joey to take him. The blond did, bouncing Syrus on his hip much like Tea had. “What’s got you crying little guy? Everything’s alright.”

“I-I want daddy.” Syrus hiccupped. He was calming down, finally letting Zane and Jaden’s magic close to help him calm down.

“You’ll get him right after his match.” Joey said. “How about we watch Uncle Seto beat one of the pros, then we watch Yugi’s match?” He walked over, sitting next to Jaden and letting Syrus sit on his lap. “Tea, Yugi didn’t have a bag with him, did he?”

“Mokuba brought it up.” Duke brought over the dark green bag. “Stuff for the boys?”

“Yep. Yug’ packed it this morning.” He unzipped it, yelping slightly at the cold air that hit him. “Guess he’s gettin’ better with spell cards.” There were a few lidded cups with formula, and a note written in terrible handwriting. “Geeze, guess he really didn’t want anyone seeing it.”

**Joey I know you can read this. I packed extra drinks and snacks when Pegasus said his contest winner was around Zane and Syrus’ age. There should be enough here for all three of them.**

“Plans for everything.” Joey put the note back, taking out the cups and bags of snacks. “Here Sy, drink.” He helped Syrus before holding out the two other cups. Zane looked a bit reluctant, knowing what was in them.

He thought Yugi stopped giving him the formula for good. He was six! Not a baby. But he was thirsty, most of the drinks he had seen were either soda in cans, or tall, skinny glasses of something bubbly. Neither were appealing. If the cup was his only option, he took it.

The doctor said it wouldn’t hurt him anyway. He didn’t mind the taste either.

Jaden seemed even more hesitant. “Go on Jaden.” Joey smiled encouragingly at the four-year-old.

Zane looked at Jaden. He could use it more than them from the looks of things. The more time Zane spent around him, the more he thought Jaden was a lot like Syrus in a few ways. And his comment about not having a mom or dad made Zane wonder if he wasn’t exactly like them.

“It’s just a drink.” Zane said. “Take it.”

With the encouragement from Zane, Jaden took the cup, taking a sip of it. “What is it?”

“Formula. Yugi must’ve rushed in packing and made the same for all three of you.”

“All three of us?” Jaden echoed.

Joey nodded. “He knew you were gonna be around Sy and Zane’s age, so he packed drinks and snacks for three.”

Zane knew the tone Jaden had; disbelief. Surprise that someone cared, someone who hadn’t even met him yet. He recognized the tears that Jaden was trying to keep in as he stared at the cup. Before Zane could think of something to do or say, Joey’s arm was around Jaden, pulling him against his side and rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

The oldest child’s eyes drifted around the room, expecting people to be staring. But no one was. He did see Tea glaring at a few, and Tristan standing protectively nearby. Duke was talking with Amanda now, but he looked around just like Zane did.

It was odd. While they were out watching Yugi and Rafael duel, people stared. Some asked question after question to both his dad and them. But no one in the room they were in seemed to pay any attention.

He didn’t catch the stern glance Amanda sent to the room’s occupants every few minutes.

He did hear Jaden’s quiet sniffle as Joey handed him an open bag of snacks. “All the excitement made you three miss lunch, right? We’ll try ta get ya somethin’ better soon. But crackers are good for now.”

Zane took his own bag, happy that the crackers were the ones he really liked. Jaden didn’t eat any of his until Zane ate one. It seemed odd, but he didn’t question it.

“Oh, look boys, Seto’s duel is starting.” Tea comments, pointing to the window.

All three children watched in wonder as suddenly, the window changed. They had a close up view of both duels shown side-by-side, with a considerable space between both. The part of the screen nearest them showed Seto’s duel, the other showed Serenity’s. “Go Aunt Serenity!” Zane cheered.

“Come on sis, you can beat dino boy!” Joey grinned. “And Seto’s gonna win his too!”

“Woah, she’s dueling Rex Raptor?” Jaden seemed to perk up at the sight of the duels.

“She’s gonna beat Rex Raptor.” Joey replied. “Serenity’s my sister. She might be new to dueling, but she can win this.”

“Go Serenity!” Jaden cheered. “We’re gonna be new to dueling, and we’re gonna win, aren’t we Zane?”

The question caught him off guard, all Zane could do was nod. It seemed to be the right response, Jaden smiled and went back to watching the duels, and Joey ruffled Zane’s hair like he always did.

Watching the duels, Zane was amazed at how his uncle dueled. At one point, he had five of his blue eyes, the three older and two of the younger, out on the field! He felt Cyber, Chrome, and Silver restlessly shuffling in his deck. And when he fused three into the Blue Eyes Ultimate, he could feel Jaden bouncing next to him.

“That’s his best card! He can beat almost anyone with it!” Seeing the large dragon so close for the first time, Zane knew how Jaden felt. He didn’t know about dueling when he first saw the large dragon, they were so nice to him and Syrus. Seeing them in a duel was completely different.

Serenity’s duel was going in her favor as well. Zane’s eyes widened in shock when he saw just what cards she was using. There were two Magician’s Valkyria on her side of the field, and the Magician of Black Chaos.

“Yugi let her borrow a few cards for her deck.” Joey saw the confusion. “Her deck’s a pretty strange mix of beasts and magicians, but she has it worked out perfectly.”

Syrus was asleep in his lap. They had missed nap time, usually it didn’t hurt them, but it could have been why Syrus was so cranky. Zane didn’t want a nap, he wanted to watch their dad duel next.

Serenity won, much to the shock of almost everyone in the VIP room. “Such a young age to be a finalist, and so new!”

“That was quite a show. But given who her brother is, did you expect any less?”

Nothing was said in malice, and Joey sat up a bit straighter with pride.

“She’s around Slade’s age, isn’t she?” Amanda asked. “She’s quite skilled.”

“She’s going to Seto’s Duel Academy.” Joey added. “She wanted to see how far she could get in the tournament first.”

Zane looked at the screen, which was now showing Serenity and Seto as the winners of their duels. Yugi said that Serenity was going to be one of the first students at the Academy. _I want to go there to learn how to duel too._ His dad would teach him, and there was no better teacher than the King himself, but the school seemed like the right thing to aim for.

“What’s an academy?” Jaden asked him.

“A school.” Zane replied. “Where you learn.”

“So a duel academy…you learn to duel?! I wanna go!” Jaden announced.

Joey chuckled. “Wait til you’re older. Seto doesn’t really want anyone under fourteen applyin’.”

“Aww…But then I got,” Jaden paused, counting on his fingers, “ten years!”

“Well,” Joey hesitated. Zane wondered why. “What did your parents say about you winning the contest?”

Jaden looked down at the crackers he still had to finish. “They, well, I don’t know them now.”

“Anyone else you told?”

Jaden shook his head.

Zane noticed the others paying attention to them, and felt a small twinge of protectiveness. So Jaden _was_ just like them. The dark haired four-year-old didn’t have a family.

“Well, I think it’s amazing you won.” Joey smiled. “Pegasus is picky, he must really like your designs. That’s a great thing, especially wit’ you being young.”

The smile on Jaden’s face was almost too bright at the praise.

“Joey, wake up Syrus. Yugi’s duel is in five minutes.” Tristan said, coming to sit next to Joey instead of standing.

Getting Syrus to wake up was tough, but it was made easier when Roland brought in a very late lunch for them. The adults were eating too, except for Joey, who was helping Syrus with his mac and cheese. Zane and Jaden had chicken nuggets, and once again Jaden was staring at the food.

“It tastes good with this.” Zane held out a small cup of honey mustard. “Dip one in and try it.”

Jaden did, taking a small bite. “It is good!” He decided.

Zane gave him the cup, opening a new one for himself.

“Yugi against Slade. I fear this duel may be over too easily.” Amanda sighed.

“Why’s that?” Tea asked.

“Slade and Jagger both aren’t big duelist. Slade is an amazing junior politician, and Jagger has my brains when it comes to finance, but neither are really familiar with dueling. I was amazed and proud when they both entered the tournament, and even prouder when Slade made it to the finals.” Amanda explained. “But this is their first year even giving the game a second glance. Chazz is the little duelist of the family, but sadly he caught a bad cold. He’s home with his father, I came to support Slade.”

Zane looked at the screen. Slade looked a lot like Jagger, and his dad looked perfectly calm.

They would finally see how Yugi really dueled.

 

* * *

 

Zane couldn’t take his eyes away from the screen.

His dad was an expert with his cards. Using trap after trap, he stopped all of Slade’s attempts at his Life Points.

Now, Slade had a huge dragon on his side, along with four lamb tokens and five face-downs. Yugi had Dark Magician, Apple, Kiwi, and three face-downs. When Slade tried to attack, one of the face-downs was activated, stopping him. And when it was Yugi’s turn, he summoned Gandora.

 _:This foolish hatchling thinks he can win against us?:_ Zane heard Gandora’s growling.

Mahaad’s only answer was a small smirk.

“I activate Gandora’s special ability!” Yugi says. “By paying half my Life Points,” they drop to 1,000, “I can destroy every card on the field aside from Gandora!”

“What?! No!” Slade yelled.

The field was cleared in a few explosions. “Not only that, but Gandora gains 300 Attack Points for each card destroyed!”

“So wait, Slade had ten cards, and Yugi had three…” Tristan started.

“That’s 3900!” Joey said. “Yug’s gonna win!”

And win he did. Slade didn’t look too happy, but Zane, Jaden, and Syrus cheered loudly. Everyone in the room smiled at the children, their joy infectious. The only one who didn’t was Jagger, who sat pouting. He muttered something under his breath.

“Fucking f-“

“Jagger Nicolas Princeton you are grounded.” Amanda went from happy to almost scary immediately.

Jaden was grinning, leaning against Joey. All the excitement was beginning to tire all three out. Already Syrus was trying to go back to his nap, now in Tea’s arms as Joey, Tristan, and Duke kept celebrating. “That was awesome!”

“Yeah it was kiddo!” Joey ruffled Jaden’s hair, the smile slipping from his face. “What did you get in to?” He carefully tugged at a knot. “Want me to fix it for ya?”

“Sure…if you can.” Jaden said hesitantly, bringing his hands up to his hair.

“Alright. Zane? Come with to help?” Joey asked.

The three headed down the hall to the restroom. “Don’t worry, I’m an expert at this.” Joey said, bringing in a chair and a sturdy box as well. He set the chair in front of one of the sinks, the back of it touching the sink, and put the box on the chair. “Come here Jay.”

He lifted the small boy up, putting him on the box. “Tilt your head back. I can wash out a few of the tangles then we can get Roland to bring up a towel to dry it and I can brush out the rest.” Jaden tilted his head back. His neck rested on the back of the chair. “It’s gonna hurt to hold your head like that after a while, so I’ll try to be a quick as possible.”

“I’ll be okay.” Jaden said. “My neck usually hurts anyway.”

Joey’s frown was unmissable at that admission. He didn’t say anything as he turned on the water, making sure it was a good temperature before running his hands through Jaden’s hair.

Zane watched, not knowing what exactly he could help with. But when Jaden whimpered as Joey hit a bad tangle, Zane grabbed the younger’s hand to comfort him, letting his magic twine around Jaden’s.

He couldn’t help with his hair, but he could comfort.

“What in the world…” Joey paused, lifting up his hand. “Is your hair colored?”

“I dunno…” Jaden’s voice was shaking.

Joey looked from his hand to the water in the sink, gasping. Zane had to stretch up to see, but when he noticed the sink, his magic spiked in panic. There was color coming from Jaden’s hair!

A dark color. But not black, it was a dark red. _Like…Like blood!_ Zane thought, panic flooding his magic again. Jaden whimpered at the panic, starting to feel terrified himself.

“Seto! Get to the bathroom near the VIP room now! Bring a first aid kit and towels!” It was then that Zane noticed Joey was wearing one of the ear pieces he saw most of his dad’s friends wearing. It was a talking device.

There were a few answers to his magic’s fear; a calm wave from Ryou, questioning from Malik, and the comfort of his dad’s magic coming closer fast. Really fast.

The room seemed to dim, shadows taking over before Yugi and Seto appeared. “What happened?” Seto asked, bringing over the towels. Yugi had the first aid kit.

“I was helping Jaden get a few tangles out, look.” Joey pulled him over, uncaring about any stains on Seto’s jacket. “That’s blood.”

“Shit.” The word slipped out.

“That’s a bad word.” Zane’s voice seemed to break the tension. Yugi guided him away from Jaden. “Is Jaden okay?”

“I don’t know sweetie, we’re going to find out.” Yugi kissed his forehead before joining Seto and Joey. “Pegasus is coming with the paramedics, it’ll take about five minutes.”

“Could you feel anything?” Seto helped Jaden move his head up carefully, frowning at the pained whimper. “It’s alright.” His tone was softer as he began drying Jaden’s hair with one of the towels. “Yugi, get the antibiotic cream and bandages.”

Yugi searched through the first aid kit for the items.

“’s not mine.” Jaden whispered. “Not my blood.”

The adults paused. “Still.” Seto recovered first. “Best to check.”

He moved the towel just as Pegasus came with the paramedics. With the dark color out of his hair, Zane saw that Jaden’s hair was really a light brown, with lighter streaks near the top.

No one expected Yugi to gasp, dropping the glass jar of special antibiotic cream. It shattered on the floor as he stared at Jaden.

“Yugi-boy?” Pegasus asked.

“Pegasus…You never said the winner of the contest was Jaden _Yuki_!” Yugi turned startled eyes on the older man.

 _Why does it matter?_ Zane wondered. _Does dad know Jaden?_

“Oh no…this isn’t good.” Yugi muttered under his breath. “Oh Ra something was messed up. We broke the timeline…”

“What are you talkin’ about Yug’?” Joey asked, helping one of the paramedics check Jaden’s head for any place the blood could have come from. “And Pegasus, you didn’t notice all this?!”

“It seemed like his natural hair color!” Pegasus protested.

“I can’t tell you.” Yugi said. “Not yet, not here.”

Zane was confused. There was so much going on at once. His dad looked panicked, his uncles looked scared, fretting over Jaden even as the paramedics denied finding anywhere that the blood could have come from.

Suddenly, dueling was pushed to the back of everyone’s mind, in favor of the panic that seemed to overtake the room.

 _What’s going to happen to Jaden?_ Zane wondered, not voicing the question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: When I said a considerable space, I mean about three feet. The VIP room is pretty large, think medium sized college lecture hall. The window can turn into a split-screen monitor, and the darker space between is so someone doesn’t get a headache from their mind trying to focus on both duels at once. If you’re in America, think that one sports channel that shows multiple games at once (RedZone I believe is the channel? It’s a DirectTV channel) but better.
> 
> Can I just say that while I usually hate adding in extra characters, I love Amanda? I was laughing writing her scolding Jagger. I originally added her in just because one of these characters needed a good parental figure. And that turned into her talking about Alexis, Atticus, and Bastion having good parents too. She wasn’t supposed to show up again until the sequel, but having Slade and Jagger in the tournament opened up an opportunity. Not to mention it’s another chance for Zane and Syrus to have some female influence in their lives, if only for a short time. (That’s another reason why I added in Mai and Rebecca! They’ll have larger roles coming up, as will Tea. Those three really balance each other, Tea’s a more maternal figure, Mai’s strong and independent, and Rebecca- like Serenity- is younger so they see girls who are close to their age.)
> 
> It’s not my plan for EVERYONE to have tragic backstory. Atticus and Alexis don’t, Bastion doesn’t, Aster’s is tragic enough. And to balance asshat brothers, Chazz gets a caring mother. (Sadly, he won’t be appearing in NGoS. But he has a large role in the sequel!)
> 
> And get used to seeing middle names. They’re kids, middle names are going to be used when they are in trouble. For being so patient with me getting these up, I’ll tell you Syrus and Zane’s full names! Their names are Zane Marcus Mutou and Syrus Hunter Mutou (Thank you Mel for Zane’s middle name.) Chose names that are not Japanese to reflect the boys’ mixed heritage, it comes up in the ‘filler’ chapter that is chapter 13.
> 
> And real quick last note, homeless 3-year-old. How that managed to escape everyone in Kyoto WILL BE EXPLAINED. It’s not just something that’s there and never explained, don’t worry. I was looking back over it and wondered that same thing, then remembered ‘oh wait I explain that later’.
> 
> UPDATE: CHAPTER 12 IS DONE. EXPECT IT THIS WEEK


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle City 2.0: Finals, and Jaden (Huge chapter is huge)(AKA: Spoonfuls is too a word)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HO BOY DID I FUCK UP LAST CHAPTER. I gotta come clean. I forgot that I was counting BBT as canon for a while. Thankfully I already had that last bit planned, so it was pretty simple to just add in Yugi having an ‘oh shit we fucked up’ moment. (He didn’t connect the magic to the Jaden he knew at first because he was focused on the relief of the kids being found and the pre-duel excitement)
> 
> Crisis averted! And now we’re on to the finals! I told you I wasn’t writing out all these duels. We’re gonna cover the final eight, final four, and final two in this, and then this arc is over!
> 
> Which means two things. Chapter 13 is going to be a ‘filler’ chapter. What that means is if there’s something you want covered that we glossed over WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF YUGI HAVING THE BOYS, I’ll try to write something to fill that in for ya. Because it was a bumpy road for them at first. There were a lot of firsts. I have a small list of thing to add (including Syrus’ first temper tantrum. Because I spent time with my three-year-old cousin and those happened SO MANY TIMES.) It’ll also have some Seto/Mokuba/Noah brother friendship time. Noah has a huge part to play soon. (And if it’s wanted, I might make a little side one-shot with those three that will explain more about Noah)
> 
> Chapter 14, I’ll give you this since it’s probably going to take a little longer to get right, will be a HUGE skip. Zane will be 9, Syrus 6. (And Yugi 22!) And I hope you’re ready for a rollercoaster because we’re going on one! I have it pretty much planned out in a linear path, and fair warning, we are going to completely wreck GX backstory even more than we already have. Like I didn’t add in BBT as a ‘just because I can’ thing. It has a huge part in the next two arcs.
> 
> LAST THING: I’m ignoring one aspect of the dub. Yubel’s gender. Dub, has Yubel as female. From what I hear of the sub, Yubel is genderless there. So when referring to Yubel, expect they/them pronouns.
> 
> WARNINGS: talk of death in the beginning (temporary death, and actual death) and emotional rollercoasters from hell. There’s talk of murder and Season 0 too. Plus Jaden has a past as bad as Zane and Syrus.

“Wait, so let me get this straight…” Seto leaned against the wall.

“The madman who stole my Blue Eyes, and Joey’s Red Eyes, also stole a Stardust Dragon, Cyber End Dragon, and Rainbow Dragon. And two kids from the future, one of them being _Jaden_ , came back and enlisted your help to stop him from killing Pegasus and your grandfather and ruining Duel Monsters?”

Yugi waited until Jaden was cleared of any head injuries to tell Seto, Joey, and Pegasus everything that happened with Yusei and Jaden. Zane and Jaden had been sent back to the VIP room, Tea was watching them.

“Yes. I know it’s hard to believe but we’ve seen stranger things than time travel!” Yugi needed them to believe him.

“Well, that would explain the sudden storm that day.” Pegasus muttered. “But, are you sure it was Jaden?”

“I recognize him Pegasus. And the name is the same, Jaden Yuki. And…he had my Winged Kuriboh, and guess who’s in the VIP room right now, fretting over Jaden.”

The two Kuriboh had appeared in response to Yugi’s shock. The second the Winged one spotted Jaden, he began bouncing around him and cooing. That only cemented Yugi’s fears.

“We weren’t supposed to meet yet!” Yugi said. “I talked to Winged Kuriboh, he said I meet Jaden just before he goes to take the entrance duel to the Academy!”

“ _That’s_ how you know what the red outfit looks like! And the duel disk!” Seto exclaimed.

Yugi nodded.

“Wait, I haven’t even _created_ the card for Cyber End yet.” Pegasus said. “And we’re _still_ searching for the tablet with the Rainbow Dragon. And a Stardust Dragon?”

“ _This_ is why I was hoping I never had to tell you what really happened.” Yugi sighed. “But since we’re breaking the timeline anyway, why not? You apparently find the Rainbow Dragon, and Jaden said Paradox stole his friends’ dragons, so I’m assuming Zane gets Cyber End, since it’s a Cyber Dragon. And a different friend has the Rainbow Dragon. Stardust Dragon…is about a hundred years from being created. Give or take a decade or two.”

They had to stop talking as the duels ended, everyone leaving the VIP room. Tea, Tristan, Duke, and Joey brought the kids out. Yugi took Syrus from Tea. “Daddy won!” He smiled.

“I did.” Yugi looked at Seto and Pegasus. He knew they would talk more on the subject, but it was best to drop it around Jaden.

The small boy was asleep in Joey’s arms. With his hair dry, it was even more apparent the two-tone was the same familiar color Yugi knew. “How is he?”

“He’s alright now.” Joey said softly, not wanting to wake Jaden. “Panicked a bit when we asked him ‘bout the blood, but we calmed him down. He seems comfortable with Syrus and Zane. Before that he sorta confirmed what Pegasus said, about him not having parents or anyone.”

Yugi frowned. “Could he stay with me and the boys for tonight?” He asked Pegasus. “If he’s comfortable with them, we might get a little more about his life out of him.”

“How about you and Zane and Syrus stay at the mansion tonight, and Jaden too?” Seto offered. “It’s closer, and Doctor Yamato can reach it quicker if need be.”

“Well, I’m alright with it.” Pegasus said. “If Yugi-boy knows Jaden, and your doctor is on hand for emergencies, I can’t think of any reason to say no.”

“What do you think Syrus, Zane? Want to have a sleepover at Seto’s?” Yugi looked at his boys.

“Yes!” Syrus answered. Zane nodded, half asleep and nodding off in Tristan’s arms.

 _There was a lot going on and we didn’t really explain it to him._ Yugi thought. If Zane stayed awake before bedtime, he would explain at least some of it to him.

Seto took Zane, and the three said their goodbyes, heading out a side door to the waiting limo. Mokuba looked surprised when he saw Yugi and the three boys.

“Spending the night?”

Yugi nodded. “Yes. Jaden’s more comfortable with Zane and Syrus than he is with Pegasus, so it’s better to keep the three of them together for now.”

No one spoke about how they couldn’t stay so close long-term. Yugi could only handle two children, not three. And with Jaden being the same Jaden that Yugi knew, he had his reservations about even being near him at all. He didn’t know much about Jaden’s past, but he knew they hadn’t met before that point.

Not to mention another person who was affected by everything. Yugi thought Banner and Pharaoh looked familiar. He felt a stab of pain as he realized that sometime, probably within the next decade, the man would be dead. Living as a spirit inside of his cat, but dead all the same. He hadn’t talked to Banner much, but the guy wasn’t too bad. More than that, Yugi could feel traces of Shadow Magic around him. Pharaoh too, Banner had said he was sensitive to the Magic.

“Yug’, I think I know how you felt when you were hearin’ about Zane and Syrus now.” Joey was wiping at his eyes, not even trying to hide it. Seto passed him a tissue from the box kept in the limo. “I don’t wanna think on how so much blood could get on Jaden.”

That was something no one could figure out, except for the obvious that no one wanted to bring up.

 _The same way I would sometimes end up covered in blood._ Murder. No one wanted to accuse Jaden of it without trying to get him to talk about it. It was an answer to the question however. Yami hadn’t been clean about his Penalty Games.

“He’s about Syrus’ size.” Seto changed the subject. “I still have a few outfits at the mansion. For you and Zane as well.”

It wasn’t the first sleepover they had. Mokuba wanted to have a gaming tournament once, and Solomon thought it a good idea to show the boys other lifestyles and places. There was no better place to start than with people they knew well. And the room Seto had for the boys…

 _He'll make a good father._ Yugi looked at him. They hadn’t put the children in car seats, not a habit Yugi wanted to get used to, so Zane was on his lap, fast asleep. Seto was typing away furiously on the screen his disk had up.

“None of us have duels tomorrow. We can figure out if we’re going or not later.” Seto told them.

Joey nodded. “That’s fine.” He looked down as Jaden moved to get more comfortable. The small child was asleep like Zane was. Only Syrus remained awake. “Sy took a nap when Seto and Serenity were duelin’.” He told Yugi.

“Where is Serenity?” Yugi questioned.

“Already at the mansion. Raptor was being an ass after she beat him.” Mokuba grimaced. “We tossed him out and she wanted to leave.”

“Language, Mokuba.” Yugi glared softly.

“Heh, sorry Yugi.”

It was dark when they got to the mansion. Seto had messaged Yamato that he may be needed, getting a quick response. “Thankfully, he has practice with magical children now.” He had seen Zane and Syrus many times in the better part of a year.

The boys were carried up to one of the bedrooms. Two somewhat larger child beds were in the room, along with multiple toys, games, and books. “Come on Zane, wake up. Bath then bed.” Yugi coaxed. Joey had already taken Syrus in for his bath.

Zane whined, trying to go back to sleep in Yugi’s arms. “I know. It’s been a long day. You’ll feel better after a bath.” It took a while to get Zane awake enough for one. Joey helped Jaden with a bath as Yugi continued trying to keep Zane awake.

“I want to sleep.” Zane complained.

“You will.” Yugi promised. He didn’t exactly like the boys going to bed without a proper dinner, but the late lunch and Zane’s tiredness made him give in quickly to just a bath and then letting them sleep.

Soon enough, all three boys were fast asleep. Jaden was sharing a bed with Syrus for the night, neither seeming to mind the arrangement. Yugi made sure the nightlight was working before turning on the baby monitor and leaving the room. The monitor was just in case one of the boys woke up and needed someone. Even with Seto and Joey’s room right across from their’s, and the room Yugi usually stayed in down the hall, it was sometimes hard to hear in the large mansion without the monitors.

He took the other one down with them to the kitchen. The boys were fine with missing dinner, but Joey wouldn’t let Seto and Yugi do the same. “You two were duelin’ today. I know how bad you guys can get if ya don’t eat afterwards.”

Seto huffed, turning his head in denial as Yugi gave a smile and a nervous laugh.

“I mean, only you would cry about burgers right after settin’ a guy on fire Yug’.” Joey grinned. “Even when you and Atem didn’t exactly know each other, you still prioritized food.”

“I did not!” Yugi objected. “Besides, _you_ were the one to complain all the other times. Remember the capsule board? And Duelist Kingdom?”

Joey laughed. “Yeah yeah. We were hungry teenagers! Still are. For now, anyway, ‘least two of us are.” He turned his grin to Seto. “Mr. Twenty-year-old. You ain’t a teen no more!”

“You’d think I was, with how some of the idiots on the board act.” Seto sat down in one of the chairs at the table, Yugi sitting in another chair. The CEO called into the living room for Mokuba and Serenity as Joey got out the ingredients for dinner. “Don’t burn down the house.” Seto warned.

“Such little faith.” Joey shook his head. “I may not be a good cook most days. But this is somethin’ I know!”

Serenity peered at the ingredients as she walked in. “Philly cheese steak?” She guessed.

“Close sis. Gyros.” Joey grinned. “We got the sauce and meat for ‘em, might as well make some.”

Yugi smiled, watching Joey and Serenity. They seemed perfectly comfortable with Seto and Mokuba. He was glad, but it was a glaring reminder. So much was changing. They weren’t high schoolers anymore, and Tea was really the only one to go on to college. Dueling was pretty much a full-time job, and Yugi didn’t plan on quitting anytime soon. Neither did Seto or Joey. Plus, even if he did retire, he had his job at Kaiba Corp, same as the other two.

He paid more attention when the language in the room changed. Seto spoke English fluidly, almost better than Joey who, no matter the language, found ways to shorten his words. Mokuba and Serenity were fine with the change too. Yugi did his best to keep up, but when Joey started with uncommon slang, he was completely lost.

“Gotta keep up Yug’.” Joey said. “Zane and Syrus are learnin’ quick. They’ll be usin’ slang too.”

“I doubt Zane will.” Yugi admitted. Already he was correcting himself if he said a word in an acceptable wrong way. “He’s a lot like Seto. If it’s not in the dictionary, he doesn’t use it. Syrus on the other hand, it’s hard to tell.”

“Still havin’ speech problems?”

Yugi nodded. Yamato warned that it may be a possibility. The boys were far better than he expected though. “For the only learning influence they had to be a dragon…I’m extremely surprised at the fact they’re fairly close to the norm for their age groups.” He had said.

Magic. It had to be that, Yugi guessed. And they were beyond their age groups in some ways. For all of Syrus’ speech problems, the fact that he could speak in more complex sentences surprised everyone. And Zane had no problems at all with speaking. He did trip a few times with reading, but Yugi helped him through it.

“I’m debating getting him into speech therapy. Doctor Yamato said that either an injury we missed or just him missing some key development stages means he’ll probably have some difficulty all his life. But it shouldn’t be too bad.” The higher pitch to his voice suggested damage to his vocal cords from early on. But it was too early to tell.

“Give him time.” Seto said distractedly. “Some males just have a naturally high voice.”

“What’s up Set?” Joey looked over. “You got that voice again, the one you had when you were wantin’ to ask me ‘n Ren to move in.”

“I’m thinking about Jaden.” At least someone had breached the subject. Yugi wanted to speak about him too. “How did we all miss that it was blood in his hair?”

“We were distracted.” Yugi said. “First with the tournament, then with the boys missing, then with duels.”

“That’s no excuse.” Seto sighed. “We’ve seen enough of it, we should’ve picked up on it.”

“ _I_ did.” Joey pointed out.

“After you washed it out.” Seto argued. “Not to mention he has magic. And no connection to Zane and Syrus, or any of us. We haven’t been to Kyoto, none of us have a secret child, he’s completely unrelated.”

“Not exactly.” Yugi said. “Remember what Pegasus told us? The people who abandoned him knew of the Duel Monster attacks. They had to have been somewhere that was attacked.”

Seto groaned. Yugi didn’t have to ask what that meant. Kyoto was probably a huge target for the Orichalcos. It seemed like every major city was, Dartz did his homework when it came to where to attack. And everyone had seen, it was impossible to keep it a secret or pass it off as a hologram malfunction.

Yugi was guilty of helping destroy the chances of keeping it a secret. Summoning Timaeus in the middle of Domino, it had to be done to save everyone, but quite a few people had seen it.

“Wait…wasn’t a place in Ethiopia attacked?” Joey asked. “And Valon said he saw someone with Syrus and Zane there.”

“Doesn’t add up.” Yugi shook his head. “Timelines are too different.”

“Speaking of, how royally fucked are we?” Mokuba asked. “You said the timeline was messed up with you meeting Jaden.”

“I’m not sure.” Yugi sighed. “We’re fine, it’s the boys that aren’t. Who knows what’s been changed.”

“Well you still remember meeting him when he’s older right? So it must be fine! You wouldn’t remember if it wasn’t!”

“You watch too many time travel movies.”

When dinner was finished, everything grew quiet as everyone ate. Meeting Jaden was the least of his worries. _He’s homeless. Who knows if he’s seen a doctor ever. He needs to see one, he needs decent food, he needs a home._ Yugi stared at his plate. _He has magic. We decided with Zane and Syrus that they would stay with one of us, and I adopted them. So…who’s going to adopt Jaden?_

Seto stood as soon as he was finished. “I need to make a few calls.” He said, leaving the room.

Joey watched him leave. Mokuba and Serenity left too, wanting to finish their movie. “Hey Yug’, you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”

“Thinking that someone with magic should adopt Jaden?” Yugi guessed.

“Or someone who knows all about it?”

“You?” Yugi blinked. He wished he could say he was surprised, but he couldn’t. In the past months, he saw the look in Joey’s eyes whenever he was helping with Zane and Syrus. And the look was back again when he was worrying over Jaden. “You really want a child.”

“Yeah. I wanted to talk to Seto ‘bout it first though. And thought it would take forever. But Jaden’s got Shadow Magic, and his _parents_ ,” the word was full of venom, ”tossed him out. A _four-year-old_. How could they do that?”

Yugi felt his own anger stir, magic thrumming around him. _Thinking about that happening to any child…_ He couldn’t stand it. “How could no one notice him?”

The monitor going off caught their attention. It picked up a rustling sound, one of the boys getting up. There was a soft sniffle, and that was enough to having Yugi and Joey both heading upstairs to the room.

Jaden was awake, sitting on the bed and trying to keep his crying quiet. Joey moved in then, picking him up. Jaden’s arms wrapped around his neck, sobbing into Joey’s shoulder. “It’s okay kiddo.” He nodded to Yugi, the two leaving the room after making sure Syrus and Zane were still asleep.

“What’s wrong?” Yugi asked gently. “Come on Jaden, it’s ok.”

“Tummy hurts.” He whimpered.

“Hungry?” Joey asked, getting a small nod. “Well, I know how to fix that.”

“Something light.” Yugi said, following them back to the kitchen. “Maybe some formula too…” Pegasus said a year and a half…Jaden would have been barely three! “I’ll make it.”

Seto was back in the kitchen when they arrived, eyes widening when he saw Jaden. “What happened?” He stood up, walking over to Joey.

“Someone woke up hungry.” Joey rocked Jaden, trying to soothe him. “Yugi’s getting some formula, and I’ll make oatmeal or somethin’.”

“Here.” Seto was careful as he took Jaden from Joey. The four-year-old latched onto his turtleneck, crying softly again. “Maybe something to calm his stomach too? What did he have today?”

“Chicken nuggets, crackers, formula- Yug’, start rememberin’ you got two different ages, Zane’s six and I think he was gonna start a protest- and some water.” Joey listed off.

“Jaden, is that more than you usually have?” He felt more than saw the tiny nod. “Hold off on food for a minute but warm up the milk.” Seto instructed. “Remember when Syrus got sick the first time?”

“Right!” Yugi measured the formula, focusing his magic on heating it up. He found it better than a microwave or stove. It didn’t take much. “Do you have any medicine?”

“In the cabinet.” Seto nodded to the one right above Yugi’s head. Joey grabbed it. “I’ve learned to keep stomach soothers hidden everywhere thanks to Mokuba. That’s a Kaiba Corp invention, perfectly safe for children and far more effective than any you buy at the store. Just one will help.”

He sat down with Jaden on his lap as Joey brought over the medicine. Seto took out one tablet. “Here Jaden, this will stop your stomachache.” Jaden shook his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Wait, try this.” Joey took a tablet. “Jay, look.” When Jaden looked up, Joey put the tablet in his mouth. “See? It’s alright.”

He still hesitated, but didn’t move away when Seto brought the tablet up to his mouth. Jaden took it, relaxing as it helped his stomach. The three adults shared a concerned look.

“Mokuba.” Seto’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was commanding. “You’ll have to handle things tomorrow. And tell Pegasus that Jaden is staying with us. I want Yamato to look him over.”

“Okay big bro!” Came the answer from the living room.

“I’ll get the oatmeal started.” Joey walked to the pantry, grabbing the canister of baby oatmeal. When Syrus started spending more time over at the mansion, Seto decided to get some. It was easier on the youngest’s stomach than regular oatmeal, and would be far better for Jaden.

Yugi looked over to Seto as the formula finished heating. _Should we put it in a cup…or bottle?_ His magic brushed over Seto before curling around the two things in the cabinet.

With his stomach not hurting as much, Jaden seemed to be half asleep on Seto’s lap. The gentle rocking motion Seto was doing was only helping to make him tired. Yugi felt the cool magic of his sort of cousin brush him, before wrapping around the bottle.

 _He’s exhausted. It’ll be easier on him._ Yugi could almost hear Seto’s reasoning over the magic link. _Not to mention he may be in the same position Syrus was…but worse._ Getting the bottle and formula, he brought it over to Seto. “I’ll help Joey.” He said.

Seto nodded, getting Jaden awake enough to take the bottle. He didn’t protest it, simply taking it and drinking, downing almost half of it in just a few minutes. “He’s dehydrated.” Seto observed. “Maybe I should call Yamato now.”

“No, we can handle this for tonight.” Yugi shook his head. “I made enough if he’s still thirsty.”

“And the oatmeal’s almost ready. Then we can take him back to bed.” Joey said, turning off the stove. “Let it cool.”

“Here.” Yugi pulled out a card from his deck holder. It was nothing but spells, his actual deck still in the holder on his shoulder console that was in the living room. Spells were easy to use, depending on what they were. Rituals took extra magic, healing spells could sometimes take health from the caster, but simple temperature spells- many of which Pegasus hadn’t released yet- were no trouble at all. “I can put this on a slow release, just keep an eye on it. It’ll cool it quicker without freezing it.” He set the card on the countertop, Joey putting the bowl of oatmeal on the card.

The bottle was refilled, Jaden still half-asleep and hungry. “Don’t let him drink all of it.” Yugi warned. “He’ll upset his stomach again.”

He sat across the table from Seto as Joey brought the oatmeal. “Think you’re gonna haf’ta help him with this one Seto.” Joey grinned.

Joey took the bottle, trading it for the bowl and sitting next to Yugi. Both were amazed at how well Seto was handling Jaden. He coaxed Jaden to eat some of the oatmeal, going slow and keeping a steady pace between spoonfuls incase his stomach didn’t agree with it. Jaden seemed more awake with the food, but turned his head away from the spoon once the bowl was half empty.

“Alright.” Seto put the spoon back in the bowl, rubbing Jaden’s back softly. “You don’t have to finish it all. It’s alright.”

Jaden curled closer to Seto, his head resting on the duelist’s chest and his eyes closed. It wasn’t long before he was asleep.

“Poor kid. So talkative during the day, so tired during the night.” Joey commented. “He’s gonna be one hyper kid once he’s all better.”

“He’ll probably be up and running about tomorrow.” Seto said, standing up and cradling Jaden carefully. “It’s probably the first time in a while that he’s been full and warm.”

 _It’s been a year a half, probably more, since he’s felt like that._ Yugi thought. _How did he manage in Kyoto on the streets by himself?_ It was possible he did have human help, but Zane and Syrus’ situation made Yugi question if it wasn’t help from a duel spirit.

The three walked back up to the boys’ room, Yugi wanting to check on Syrus and Zane and Joey not taking his eyes off Jaden, who was asleep in Seto’s arms. Jaden was put back in bed just as Zane stirred in the other bed.

“Hey. Hungry, Zane?” Yugi sat on the edge of the bed.

Zane shook his head, closing his eyes again. There were strands of magic in the room that Yugi could feel, all three boys were unconsciously making sure everyone was where they were before. Zane fell back asleep, curled up on his side and facing the other bed where Syrus and Jaden were sleeping soundly.

“We should all head to bed.” Joey yawned. “We can take the monitor Yug’. I don’t duel tomorrow, you and Seto dueled today, you need some sleep. If the kids wake up, I can get them.”

Yugi smiled. _I have a feeling no matter what Seto says, Joey’s going to adopt Jaden._ He handed the monitor over, saying goodnight to them before heading to his room. _And we thought this tournament was going to be just a normal, fun thing._

As he left, Yugi couldn’t help but look back in the room. _I thought I felt…It must’ve been Cyber, or Mahaad._ He shook his head. The boys were safe, that was enough for him to know.

 

* * *

 

“I must admit, this is far better than being stared down by giant mechanical dragons.”

There was a lazy hiss from the open sliding glass door leading into the patio at Yamato’s words. The enclosed room was filled with magic anchors made by Seto, making it easier to summon any of their spirits into their world. Cyber and Chrome wanted to spend time with Syrus and Zane, the two boys in the room with their dragons, Mahaad, and Kisara.

Noah was on the back of the couch, stretched out like a lazy cat with his tail trailing over the arm of the couch. “Well…I just cou-…” He huffed. It was still hard for him to muster enough magic to switch to familiar human languages.

“He’s here because he’s still grounded.” Seto explained. “And you’re here for Jaden.” He added to Yamato.

After making sure Mokuba and Serenity were on their way to the tournament, Yugi and Seto had woken Jaden, Syrus, and Zane up. They held off on breakfast for now, wanting Jaden to be checked over before giving him anything else after the late dinner he had.

Yugi sent his boys out to the patio with the dragons and Mahaad. It was fully heated, there was no worry of the December air reaching them there. Jaden sat on the couch, Joey on one side, and Noah making a good headrest.

“Yes, Pegasus called me last night.” Yamato already had a folder out and open. “He gave me some basic information; name, age, approximate height and weight, where he’s from. One of these is quite concerning.”

It wasn’t necessary to ask what he was referring to. “How bad is it?” Seto asked.

“Height is fine, some boys are quite short until their first growth spurt. The approximate weight was worrying, more than Syrus’ was.” He said. “I’d like to get a better weight, if you please Jaden?”

The doctor had brought an entire medical cart with him. Yugi was curious as to what was on it. From the looks of it, it wasn’t one used at hospitals. There was a computer on it, but it had more compartments, and more medical instruments hanging on it. It looked intimidating to say the least, no doubt it looked downright scary to Jaden.

“You just have to stand on a scale.” Seto said calmly as Yamato got the scale from one of the drawers. “It will say your weight, that’s all Yamato needs.”

Jaden nodded, standing shakily and stepping on the scale. Yamato frowned when the numbers finally settled on it. “He’s seventeen pounds underweight. Has he eaten today?”

Joey shook his head. “We were waiting on you. He had a really late dinner.”

“What did he have?” Yamato asked, grabbing the folder and writing down Jaden’s weight.

“Formula, one and a half bottles, and half a bowl of the baby oatmeal.”

Yamato looked up. “Upset stomach?”

“Beforehand.” Seto spoke up. “We gave him a stomach soother and it worked immediately. It was one you helped create.”

“Good. I think doing the same today is a good idea. He should eat now, we can wait on the tests.”

Joey made the oatmeal as Yugi handled formula again, getting something for Zane and Syrus as well. He took it out to them, smiling at the sight that greeted him. Mahaad was sitting on the floor with the boys, going over their decks with them. Syrus’ deck seemed to be the main focus.

“Boys, breakfast.” Yugi said, bringing it over.

“Is Jaden o’ay?” Syrus asked.

“That’s what Doctor Yamato’s trying to figure out.” Yugi handed them each a bowl of fruit, Syrus’ having more strawberries, and a cup of regular milk. “I’m sure he’s going to be just fine.”

 _He has to be._ Yugi thought as he rejoined the others in the living room. Jaden was able to handle the spoon himself once Joey brought in the oatmeal, though Joey helped him hold the bowl.

“Jaden, think you can answer a few things for me?” Yamato asked, Jaden nodded. “Alright, can you tell me about the past year?”

Jaden put down the spoon. “I don’t remember much…b-but my parents left before that. That’s what Yubel said.”

“Yubel?”

 _That sounds familiar…oh!_ Yugi relaxed. _Of course!_ Yubel had been with Jaden when Yugi met him. He remembered seeing them. _So they’re protecting Jaden now._ No wonder he wasn’t worse off.

“They’re my friend.” Jaden gave a small smile. “But, I haven’t seen them since I came to the tournament. Or their card…”

“So Yubel’s a duel spirit.” Yamato wrote that down. “Well that explains many things. Alright Jaden, what do you remember?”

“Bein’ on my own. Yubel wasn’t always around because they need to rest. An’ I did too. So I tried to sleep in warm places, or cool if it was hot.”

His answers were much like Zane’s had been. It seemed that Yubel was just as protective as Cyber. It was a bit of a comfort to know Jaden hadn’t been completely alone. _We have to find them. Jaden sounds like he misses them, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to know he’s safe._

The check-up went the same as the first one Yugi had seen, though everyone was alarmed at how long it took for blood to be drawn. “Highly anemic… he’ll need iron, calcium, vitamin B, I’ll copy the scripts we used for Zane and Syrus. And see what this brings back.” In the end, he only took one vial of blood. Just that seemed to have Jaden tired.

“Can you check him for injuries?” Joey asked. “Yesterday, I was helping wash out his hair, it was covered in blood. Jaden said it wasn’t his, but I want to be sure.”

“Of course.”

Yamato’s check came up with no injuries either. “Is he going to be staying for long?” He asked.

“At least the rest of the month.” Seto said.

“Then I want to get an MRI and CT scan within the next week.” Yamato decided. “I have a theory, about the magic. I’ll need one from you two as well.” He told Yugi and Seto. “But more than that, I want to know if there’s any damage from being out and on his own for a year and a half. Or if we should consider pressing attempted murder along with the abandonment charges I _hope_ are going through.”

“As we speak.” Seto nodded sharply. “My lawyers are working with Kyoto police.”

“Jaden, how about we go out to the patio?” Joey asked, not wanting Jaden to hear all of that. “You can meet some new friends, and Zane and Syrus are out there.”

“Okay.” Jaden held out his arms, Joey picking him up with a smile. They headed out, and shut the door after them.

“Pegasus had his men scouring Kyoto the second he found Jaden.” Seto spoke more freely with Jaden out of the room. “My own joined them, and Kaiba Corp’s lawyers are just waiting on a call. That is, if the police find those people before Kisara’s siblings.”

The dragons, all of them, were more than pissed as word spread through their group about Jaden. Red’s roars were loud enough from his card for even those without Shadow Magic to hear, and Kisara and Noah were the only two Blue Eyes who wanted to wait it out and see if the police could track down the people who abandoned Jaden.

 _:Gandora isn’t letting anyone through. Neither is X.:_ Noah hissed before sliding off the couch and slinking through the small dog door on the patio door. Seto had installed a few in the mansion once his dragons became more permanent residents.

Yugi blinked. X, it had to be Gandora-X. _So he wasn’t sealed up again. Or he broke it to assist._ Having two Gandora made it confusing at times, so the more violent of the twin dragons chose to go by X most times. Yugi hadn’t used him in a duel since his duel with Kaiba over the Puzzle, but he was in his deck for the Tournament.

“I’ll contact the hospitals in Kyoto, see if I can’t get his medical records.” Yamato said. “As for my theory on magic, all three children show an astounding vocabulary and vocal ability for their ages. Syrus and Jaden speaking in complex sentences like they do suggests that parts of their brain are developing at a higher rate. I’m wondering if it isn’t the magic’s doing.”

“It’s possible.” Yugi said. “I mean, grandpa always talks about how much I liked to talk when I was younger, and he said I was learning some pretty hard words for a three-year-old.”

“I don’t have any recollection of anything out of the ordinary myself.” Seto said.

“Well, you have a naturally high IQ, so I’m not sure if getting scans of you is going to help this theory.” Yamato admitted. “But you are overdue for some, I know you like to keep strict records.”

They talked for a while longer, Seto getting the same speeches Yugi did when he first adopted Zane and Syrus. There was no certainty that Seto would adopt Jaden, but Yugi knew Joey would fight for them to.

Yamato left soon after, wanting to do what bloodwork he could with the small amount of blood, fill the prescriptions, and contact the Kyoto hospitals to track down Jaden’s records. Seto told Joey to bring the kids back in, and the six of them, plus the dragons, watched the tournament on television.

“I’m going back to help Gandora.” Mahaad told Yugi.

“Wait, Mahaad, could you try to track down a duel spirit named Yubel?” He asked.

“I’ll try.”

Lunch was a larger affair than breakfast had been. Joey wanted pizza, a thought seconded by Zane and Syrus. Seto objected at first, there was no way Jaden could handle greasy pizza. Yugi came up with a compromise. Joey and his sons could have pizza- the boys had to eat something healthy first- and Yugi, Seto, and Jaden would have salad.

He doubted that Jaden would have any interest in the vegetables, but the salads still included chicken, cheese, and crackers. Those would be easy enough for him. Joey was sent to order the food as Yugi got everyone’s drinks. Soda for the adults, and juice for the kids. Strawberry kiwi seemed a safe and different choice. If Jaden didn’t like it, there was still apple or orange juice.

Yugi paused in the doorway, looking into the living room. Zane was napping against the arm of the couch, Noah curled up with him. Syrus was showing Cyber a card, the dragon nodding as he talked.

Kisara nuzzled Jaden, who was sitting sleepily next to Seto. The duelist was typing something on the screen of his duel disk, being careful not to move or nudge Jaden, even as he laid his head on Seto’s lap to nap.

 _He’ll make a great father._ Yugi smiled softly. _Not even a full day and Jaden seems completely comfortable with him._

He brought out the drinks, just in time to hear the results of the duels. “This is going to be a fun month.” Yugi announced. “Hope you’re ready Kaiba.”

Seto looked up with a smirk. “Hope _you’re_ ready to hand over that title.”

“Bring it.”

 

* * *

 

A fun month also meant a tiring month. Zane, Syrus, and Jaden became practically inseparable, which led to more than a few sleepovers. Plus time spent on keeping up with their schoolwork and visiting his friends, Yugi was finding it hard to find time to sleep. The tournament just added to that trouble.

Some stress was taken off of them when Yamato announced Jaden would be alright if they kept him to almost the same schedule Syrus and Zane were on before. He was anemic, and the MRI and CT scans showed minor damage, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. Yugi was grateful for that.

More often he found himself catching power naps between the duels. It was down to the final four pairs. Yugi was up against Banner, who had just beaten Serenity in his last duel. She did her best, but that alchemy deck of his was just too much for her.

Yugi was looking forward to going up against him.

Joey would be dueling against Mai. They hadn’t stopped teasing each other the entire morning, going from complimenting each other to making snide comments about who would win.

The boys were rooting for Joey. And Mai, when she pouted about them not being her fans. Then back to Joey when he promised ice cream.

Yugi huffed, watching his breath. It was too cold for ice cream. Bundling up the boys took most of the morning before they reached the stadium dome. As December went on, the weather grew colder. Soon, it would snow. Jaden looked a bit worried at that, but the past two weeks had him inside and out of the cold. _He won’t be out in it like he was last year._ Yugi thought. _And it’s Zane and Syrus’ first snow with a family._ It would be the first snow Syrus remembered.

The first snow that Zane could actually have fun in. But Yugi didn’t want them chancing getting a chill, so they wouldn’t be out in it for too long once it arrived.

Of course, the coats and boots and scarves and earmuffs were forgotten in the warm building. Yugi had to escape it for a while, it was almost too warm, and dueling was somewhat of a workout. The colder he was beforehand, the better.

He looked up at the board outside that showed the match-ups. Seto would be dueling Ryou at the same time Yugi and Banner were dueling. Rafael would duel Rebecca after that.

“Too warm inside?”

Yugi turned, looking up at Rafael. “Yeah. I don’t like being too warm before a duel.” Flashes of his own memories and Atem’s raced through his mind. It was almost always hot in Egypt, even in the Memory World. “So outside I stay.”

He wore a light gray jacket, with a matching scarf and fingerless gloves. Even with the heat of the day in the desert, it got cold at night. December in Japan was nothing compared to that.

Rafael was more practical. He wore a heavy coat at least. “Don’t catch a cold. Rather not beat you on a technicality.”

“You’ll have to beat Seto first.” Yugi pointed out with a smile. “Too crowded inside for you?”

“Yes. And I just got off the phone with someone.” Rafael explained. “Pegasus is checking it out.”

Yugi stood up straighter. “An Item?”

“Possibly.”

Pegasus would tell him if it was. Yugi relaxed.

“Don’t lose today, pharaoh.” Rafael said, turning to walk back inside. “Your subjects wouldn’t like that too much.”

Yugi rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I trust my deck.”

 

* * *

 

It took more than trust to win against Banner. _So that’s why Seto chose him as a teacher._ Yugi was having trouble, even after he worked around the limitation of what cards of his could attack. Light and dark seemed to be the only way to go, but even then he was hitting blocks.

In the end, he had to call out Gandora-X. The strong tug on his magic made him reel back. _It’s not a Shadow Game!_ He reminded the dragon. There was a reason Yugi rarely broke the seal to summon him.

He won, but barely. Fifty Life Points were all he had left when Dark Magician finally won him the duel. Yugi panted, looking across the field to Banner and Pharaoh. Both looked just as tired as Yugi, though he was sure that was just Pharaoh’s usual look.

Seto won his duel as well, just barely getting his win before Ryou’s Destiny Board could be completed. Ryou and Banner went back to the other finalists who chose to stay for the whole thing, while Yugi and Seto headed up to the VIP room.

“-so cool! Did you see Kisara? I thought she was gonna bite that board in half!”

“Mahaad had no trouble with that sun lady. Dad was awesome.”

Yugi and Seto shared a small smile. The boys seemed to be in a good mood. They walked in, being tackled almost immediately by the three. Seto picked up Jaden, Yugi letting Zane and Syrus lead him to one of the sofas.

“Dad win!” Syrus grinned.

“That was amazing!” Zane added.

“It was tiring.” Yugi chuckled. “Banner is a great duelist.”

There was a short break between their duels and the other duels. Enough time for a quick lunch for everyone. There would be a longer break afterwards, then Yugi and Seto would be dueling against their next opponents, either Joey, Mai, Rafael, or Rebecca. The long break was good, Yugi hoped the boys would take a nap.

And they did, once Joey and Rafael won. Joey and Red Eyes had just enough power to beat Mai and her Harpie’s Pet Dragon. Rafael’s angel deck was more than a match for Rebecca’s fairy and dragon combos.

“Our last match-ups will begin in three hours!” The announcer told everyone.

Zane shifted in his sleep, Yugi’s hand petting his hair making him calm right back down. He and Syrus were using Yugi’s lap as a pillow, Jaden being rocked to sleep with Seto. “Formula. Always makes them want to nap.” Yugi grinned.

“I’m surprised that works with Zane.” Seto admitted as Joey finally joined them with Rafael.

“He was tired to begin with.” Yugi looked at his oldest son. “Too excited to sleep last night. I’m surprised he stayed awake as long as he did.”

Solomon took Yugi’s place as a pillow soon after. “You boys should go eat! You have quite the duel coming up.” He said. “I’ll watch these three.” Jaden was asleep next to Syrus.

Yugi was grateful for the chance to get up and walk. “My legs were falling asleep.” He said.

The early dinner was full of talk about the upcoming duels. “Security’s been tightened.” Seto told them. “We aren’t expecting danger, but…”

“It’s us.” Joey gave a short laugh. “We don’t expect danger, it jumps out of the shadows and bitch slaps us.”

“Ryou and Malik are keeping an eye out for anything magical.” Yugi said.

“Valon’s getting Mai and Alistair to help with their own security precautions.” Rafael added. “And I saw that fat cat prowling around like he was looking for something that wasn’t there.”

Everyone was on high alert. Just as Joey said, they never expected danger, but it found them no matter what. _I haven’t forgotten your warnings, Atem._ Yugi promised silently. _We’re keeping an eye out._

With the sun going down, the final four faced off.

 

* * *

 

Dueling Joey was just as Yugi remembered. Light, easygoing, one of the hardest challenges he ever had to face. Joey kept him alert and on his toes, even finding a way around Gandora’s ability. And Jinzo made Yugi’s traps useless. But he made the duel just as hard for Joey, taking out Red Eyes quickly and keeping him from getting him back.

In the end, it was pure luck. Joey had tried Time Wizard, and time wasn’t on his side. Neither felt bad about it coming down to that. Really, it was one of the best ways to end their duel. Time Wizard, the first card Yugi gave to Joey. Fitting that it would decide the outcome of their duel.

Seto and Rafael’s duel ran late. They were at a standstill many times. And Rafael finding a way to destroy Deep-Eyes quickly shocked everyone.

He couldn’t stop Seto’s final monster though. “I thought he got rid of that card…” Yugi murmured.

The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon was the deciding factor that won Seto the duel. All four were greeted with cheers from the boys as Solomon brought them down.

Yugi grinned, hugging his sons tightly. “Ready to watch me win tomorrow?” He asked.

“No way! Da-….” Jaden trailed off, going completely silent.

He said enough for the adults to catch on to what he was going to say. Seto’s eyes were wide, Joey looking at him with a soft smile.

Tomorrow would be interesting. Yugi looked up at Seto.

Their last duel was interrupted by Diva. Tomorrow, nothing would interrupt them. It would be a final test, pharaoh against priest. To see who really deserved the title of King.

 

* * *

 

“Be good, alright?” Yugi told the boys, looking at Rafael. “There’s going to be cameras on them no matter what. If Zane needs to leave-“

“I’ll give him to your grandfather.” Rafael promised. “But I think they’ll be too busy watching you to even think of the cameras.”

For the final duel, the entire stadium had changed. It reminded Yugi of the place they dueled Diva, but far larger. Just off of the dueling platform, the boys would be sitting with friends, family, and the other finalists. Pegasus wasn’t there, whatever Rafael told him seemed to be urgent. Jaden was sitting on Joey’s lap, looking excited to see the duel. Zane was sitting next to Joey, with Syrus sitting next to him. Rafael would be sitting next to Syrus.

It was the best way to keep reporters away from them. Rafael looked intimidating. On Joey’s other side were Mai, Tristan, and Duke. Tea, Solomon, Ryou, Malik, and Rebecca sat behind them. The boys were protected.

Yugi adjusted his disk one more time, turning it on. The bracelet felt warm against his wrist as his magic wove around it. It was time. He walked up the platform, looking across it to Seto.

“Begin!” Their disks activated, and the duel was on.

From the start, it wasn’t a normal duel. The air between them crackled with magic, like the air during a storm. A hidden barrier was up, stopping the magic from escaping off the platform. And the tricks began with their first moves.

“I summon Cyber Dragon in attack mode!” Cyber appeared on the field, hissing at the Crystal Dragon on Seto’s side.

He promised the boys he would use the cards they asked him to borrow for the Final. And Pegasus gave him one other card to try out.

The perfect chance came when Seto had two of his Blue Eyes. Kisara growled at Cyber, Noah roaring. “I use Polymerization!” Yugi yelled. “To fuse the Cyber Dragon on my field, with the two in my hand!” _Watch Zane! This will be your card one day._

“Now, Cyber End Dragon!”

The three-headed dragon appeared, catching everyone off guard. Yugi looked over at the boys. Zane was staring at Cyber End with wide eyes and a grin. Syrus and Jaden were stunned. Pegasus had created the card a few days ago, giving it to Yugi to hold onto until he felt it to be the right time to give it to Zane.

It was still no match for the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but Yugi was able to bring Cyber back with Monster Reborn. “Now, I’ll use Limiter Removal!” It wasn’t enough to take down the Blue Eyes, but Seto’s other Crystal Dragon fell easily then. And Negate Attack saved Cyber.

The duel was going in Seto’s favor, and Yugi began to worry. _I have to do something…please!_ He drew. _Yes!_

“Make your move Yugi! Or are you going to surrender?” Seto taunted.

“Never Kaiba!” Yugi grinned. “Get ready! I sacrifice my Cyber Dragon and Berry Magician Girl, to summon Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction! Then I’ll activate Gandora’s special ability!” Gandora’s attack rose to 3000.

“I don’t think so!” Seto said. “By doing that and sending my Ultimate Dragon to the grave, I can summon Deep-Eyes White Dragon!” It appeared on his field, gaining 4500 attack points. “And for every dragon-type in my graveyard with different names, you take 600 points of damage!”

 _I thought you’d do that._ Yugi smirked, playing the last card in his hand just as Deep-Eyes attacked.

“Nice try Kaiba. But did you really think I’d go down so easily?”

“What?”

The smoke cleared, and it was impossible to hear the announcers over the gasps of the audience. Yugi looked past his visor, smirking at Seto. “I activated Transformation!”

Yugi was now wearing a deep black armor, red gems reflecting on his arms, legs, and sides. The helmet was in the shape of a dragon’s head. Not just any dragon.

Transformation made the armor take a basic shape of Gandora-X.

“With this card, all battle damage that would be done to me is absorbed!” He explained. “Of course, if the card is destroyed, then I’ll take all of that damage in one hit.” That would hurt. With all the magic in the air, the attack would be real. _Don’t worry about that Seto, please! I still want you to give it your all! We have safety precautions._

_Just before getting out into the area, Seto had pulled him aside. “You know it’s going to be a real game.” He said. “Every hit is going to hurt. Here.” He held out a microchip. “Put this in your disk. If the magical energy spikes above a certain amount, it’ll absorb everything. I have one too.”_

Transformation was a three-of-a-kind card. Yugi once held all three, but gave one to Zane, and one to Syrus. _May you never have to use it outside of a duel._

Deep-Eyes was proving to be trouble, destroying Gandora in one hit. The damage Yugi was expecting if Transformation was destroyed was well over 5000 at that point. But he wasn’t giving up. Deep-Eyes fell to a trap, leaving Seto with a dark-type Dragon on the field.

They were both running short on cards, Yugi down to his last six, Seto with three. “This is it.” Yugi smiled. “This turn, will decide the winner!” He declared, drawing. _Perfect!_ “I special summon Palladium Oracle Mahaad!”

The magic the card drained from him left Yugi panting. “And if he is facing a dark-type monster, his attack doubles!”

Their duel ended in a flash of light. Seto closed his eyes, smirking at his Life Points hit zero. Their disks turned off, making everything disappear. Mahaad gave Yugi a gentle smile before leaving, letting the pharaoh’s magic return.

Yugi smiled. He did it! _Atem…I beat Seto! Did you see?_ He looked up, not expecting an answer.

Ra seemed to give him one anyway, peering through the clouds onto the arena. _I did it…_ He could feel the tears starting, not focusing on the cheers from the audience, but the magic wrapping around him.

**_Well done, Aibou._ **

Yugi gave a shaky laugh, shaking hands with Seto and walking off the arena with him. Joey was the first to meet them, hugging Yugi before hugging Seto and trapping his boyfriend in an enthusiastic kiss.

Everyone was talking to them about how amazing the duel was. Tristan and Joey goofing off as usual about Yugi’s win.

“Daddy!” Yugi turned, holding out his arms to take Syrus from Rafael. Zane clung to his legs in a tight hug. “You won!”

“I did.” Yugi grinned. “Did you two have fun?”

“Yes!” They replied.

“Were they trouble?” Yugi asked Rafael, noticing the worried look the older had. “What’s going on?”

Rafael shook his head. “They weren’t.” He said, voice tense. “Listen, you-“

“ _Are you serious_?!” Joey’s voice broke what Rafael was going to say. Yugi looked over, seeing his best friend holding papers in shaking hands.

“Surprise.” Seto was smiling, holding Jaden. “It was easy to get the right papers.”

“So he’s…”

“Yes. Our son.”

Yugi couldn’t help but laugh with relief. So that was what Seto had been so secretive of over the past few weeks! He went behind all of their backs, and adopted Jaden himself. Yugi moved Syrus to his hip, wrapping his free arm around Zane. “Seems you have a cousin now.” He said.

“Yugi. This is urgent.” Rafael stood in front of him again. “You and Seto have to come with me. Now.”

“What? Going to sneak us out past the reporters?” Yugi grinned. The grin began to fall when he saw how serious Rafael looked. _He almost…looks scared._ “What’s going on?” He waved Seto and Joey over, Ryou and Malik following them.

“There was an attack. In Denver, Colorado.” He said. “People were reporting it looked like the God Card Obelisk…but look.”

Rafael held up a Kaiba Corp tablet, showing them a picture that was taken of the attack. Yugi gasped. “That’s what attacked me and the boys!” He said.

It looked like Obelisk, but more sinister. And beside it… “Slifer?” Joey narrowed his eyes. “No, that thing looks weaker really.”

“It looks weak, but that thing leveled a school.” Rafael told them. “Luckily it’s still early morning over there, no one was hurt. But the mall the Obelisk lookalike hit had casualties. And that’s not all. This thing appeared over Tokyo a few minutes ago.”

He moved to the next picture. “Ra.” Malik shook his head. “No, this thing makes Ra look like a harmless chicken.”

“The Sacred Beasts.” Yugi murmured. “This has to be them.” He kept a tight grip on Zane and Syrus, and saw Seto draw Jaden closer to himself.

“This isn’t all. You have to come with me.” Rafael said. “Pegasus is back.”

 

* * *

 

There was no time to celebrate the tournament. The ride to the main Kaiba Corp building was tense, not even the children spoke. Zane clung to Yugi’s arm, Syrus on his lap. Jaden sat on Joey’s lap, Seto trying to get in contact with the business branches he had in Tokyo and Denver.

“Nothing.” He finally snarled. “I’m sending Kisara-“

“No.” Yugi looked up. “She’s tired from the duel. And so are you. We can’t do anything yet.”

“You can’t, but we can.” Malik spoke up. “I can go to Tokyo, Ryou to Denver.”

“Don’t Shadow travel there.” Yugi ordered. “I don’t know if these beasts can pick up on it.”

Malik looked at Seto. “Got something fast that can get Ryou to Denver?”

“The Blue Eyes Jet.” Seto said. “Mokuba can pilot it.”

Plans made, they grew quiet again as they approached the main building. Yugi saw more than just Pegasus there. Armed guards stood outside the building, large military vehicles surrounding it as well. Thousand-Eyes Restrict floated at the door like a guard to the gates of hell. Relinquished stood guard with it, both moving aside as Yugi and Seto led the group into the building. Joey was carrying Jaden, keeping just behind them with Rafael and Tristan carrying Zane and Syrus.

“For him to call both of them out…something bad’s happened.” Yugi activated his duel disk again, ready to call Mahaad. Seto did the same, already inputting Kisara’s card data to be ready. They were all tired, but ready to fight.

Pegasus was waiting in the lobby, security everywhere within the building. “I told you to keep looking!” He was on a cell phone. “I don’t care if you have to dig to the planet’s core or dive into the deepest part of the ocean! Find them!”

“Pegasus! What’s going on?” Yugi demanded. “Ishizu?” He stopped, seeing Malik’s sister standing beside Pegasus.

“Yugi.” Ishizu spoke up as Pegasus threw the phone to ground in anger. “Good, you are here, my pharaoh.”

 _She never calls me that._ He grew more worried, more suspicious. “Tell me.” He demanded.

“I can do better. I can show you.” Ishizu turned around to a black briefcase. She entered a few numbers into the lock on it, opened it, and opened the bullet-proof one after that.

She didn’t need to open the last one fully for Yugi to know what was inside. Automatically, his magic whipped out, latching onto what was inside tightly. It felt so familiar, too familiar. He felt Seto’s magic latch to it as well.

“These were found in Qatar. The _second_ someone touched them, the person would disappear. Only Pegasus and myself were able to put them in here. But when we did, those beasts appeared.”

Yugi stepped forward, parts of his magic curling behind him, warning the others to stay back. He opened the last case fully, grabbing what it contained.

“My pharaoh, something terrible is to happen.” Ishizu warned. “I know you’ve seen it.”

“No. I’ve only been warned, by Atem.” Yugi’s hands shook as he held out his right to Ishizu. “You should-“

“No. I tried, it does not work. It has chosen _you_.”

He looked down, almost in shock, at his hands. In his open right hand, sat the Millennium Necklace. It seemed smaller, almost like a choker in size. _Like a collar._ He was hyperaware of the black one resting around his neck.

In his closed left hand, digging sharply into the skin, sharp enough that Yugi could feel blood coating it, sat a piece of the Millennium Puzzle.

_It’s beginning. What Atem warned me about._

_:’You must find the Items! Before the Gods’ Shadows eclipse the light!’:_

Yugi looked back at the others, holding the Items so they could see.

“Oh man.” Tristan whispered. “Not again.”

“Yugi…does this mean…” Tea looked worried.

“I don’t know.” He gave an honest answer. “I don’t know what it means.”

Whatever it was. He knew it wasn’t good. _Ra, we may require your help._

_And Atem’s._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY I FOUND A PLACE TO USE TRANSFORMATION. For those who don’t know, Transformation is a manga-only card. Syrus uses it, and it takes the place of Power Bond when it comes to the brothers. Zane gave him the card, and it gives Syrus Blue Eyes White Dragon armor. It’s so fucking cool. BE WARNED I altered the effect of it. Syrus says the effect of Transformation is “A monster that attacks the equipped player is destroyed, all battle damage done to both players at the time of activation becomes 0. Should the armor be destroyed, the player takes damage that is the sum of the destroyed monsters’ attack points.’ So I sorta nerfed it. 
> 
> Yugi's using the Cyber Dragons as well. This is just to show Zane what they can do in a duel. It also shows how much trust Zane has in Yugi, to let him use the three cards that he values most. And Yugi uses the Cyber End Dragon to show Zane more of what Cyber, Chrome, and Silver can do.
> 
> Tums. What Seto gave Jaden was a modified tums tablet. Kaiba Corp does more than games, he also has a few people working on making better medicine, especially for kids. Of course what he gave Jaden was tested and approved beforehand. WE ARE NOT DRUGGING CHILDREN WITH UNKOWN MEDICATION or eating tums like they’re candy like me and my cousins used to do at our grandmother’s.
> 
> FIRST ARC COMPLETE. Thank you so much for sticking around as long as you have! We’re about a third of the way complete with this story! I want to thank everyone who has commented, bookmarked, left Kudos, or just read this! You guys, gals, and nonbinary pals are amazing and knowing you at least looked at this gives me motivation to move it from my mind to Word so I can share it with you.
> 
> Now, before we have our filler, there’s something I wanted to touch on because I know I do it seemingly out of nowhere and to random things: Capitalization. I capitalize Shadow, Magic, Penalty Game, Spirit, and words related to them. This is to emphasize importance, or show that they are a name. Take Shadow Magic, the Shadow part is capitalized because it is the name of the magic. Magic is capitalized because it is an important thing, so the same way someone would capitalize the Statue of Liberty, Magic is much the same. 
> 
> Pharaoh is not capitalized, because of Yugi’s feelings. He feels the title does not belong to him, but he wears it because someone has to, and because he was, technically, Atem’s heir.
> 
> And here’s a question for everyone. Would you like a side story where I explain some of these things? Like…Like a fic titled Book of Magic, where I try to put things into some semblance of order? My biggest thing with this fic is that I don’t want to leave any reader confused on things unless I’m doing the confusing on purpose. So this side story would be just as it says, a Book of Magic (and Other Important Things). Would you like to see that?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First Year of Firsts Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start off with this. I forgot the names of the Sacred Beasts. So I asked my brother, before we decided “Fuck it, they’re getting named after Ninja Turtles for now.” That did not happen. Instead, allow me to introduce the new Sacred Beasts: Rafael, Monticello, and Humun!
> 
> Literally a chapter of first year firsts with Yugi and his sons. It’s a filler, because Chapter 14 does a time skip into the main arc (which my brother has dubbed ‘Awakening the Beasts’.)
> 
> We’ll also see some of Jaden (because the year goes from March to March and Jaden got adopted in December. The year will probably go over though. So Jaden near the end.) I’ll try to keep this linear, but no promises.(LMAO I BROKE THIS WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND PART) Each one will be marked too so if you don’t wanna read about stuff like Syrus’ first temper tantrum then you can skip it (but why would you skip it it’s actually cute?)
> 
> Most of these will be small things, around 800 words (which is small for me, even with essays for college classes I usually write 1000 words for just a single day’s essay) And you can still send in firsts that you want to see! I may do a separate story for them.
> 
> Warnings will be posted with each part

**First Thunderstorm**

It wasn’t that Yugi didn’t like July. He just hated the heat.

And from the looks of the boys, they hated it too. Just the short walk to the store nearby was too much.

“You know heat like this means there will be a storm tonight.” Solomon told them as they came into the kitchen.

“It can storm now.” Yugi groaned. “I’m not taking the boys out in anything this hot ever again.” He grabbed a few bottles of water from the fridge, opening all three and handing one each to Zane and Syrus before taking a drink of his own. “But we got the strawberries.” He held up the bag.

“Well that’s good.” Solomon laughed. “You know Syrus isn’t happy if he doesn’t have some with breakfast.”

Yugi nodded as he put the cartons of strawberries into the fridge. They had run out yesterday, and Yugi had to deal with the backlash. He never knew just how bad three-year-olds could be if they didn’t have their favorite thing when they wanted it. Luckily, they still had some strawberry milk, which kept Syrus happy until Yugi could go to the store.

Of course, the boys had to come with him. Doctor Yamato warned that they would become very clingy, he just hadn’t excepted it to be so bad. Secretly, he found himself not minding it too much. He didn’t mind much about parenting really.

Except the unbearable heat. The last thing he wanted was the boys getting heat stroke or something. So indoors, with air conditioning and water, was where they would stay. “Boys, you can go watch something. I have to finish up a report for Seto.” He smiled, nodding to the living room.

“Okay.” Zane replied, leading Syrus to the living room. Yugi waited to hear the television turn on before leaning against the counter and activating his duel disk. He didn’t worry about what they were watching, They didn’t know how to change the channels yet, and even when they figured it out, he had set up a parental lock on it. They could only get the cartoon channels.

“He has you working again?” Solomon asked.

“No.” Yugi denied. “I offered my help with this one. It’s a game Yuko designed, he wanted input on the first level before he moved on and Seto cleared me to test it.”

“Was it alright?”

Yugi nodded. “Yeah. He just needs to adjust the levels of the enemies and experience output. Enemies are a bit too high and the experience you get with them is too low to compensate.” He typed that up, sending it on to Seto before checking the rest of his emails. One was from Yamato’s office, a reminder that the boys were due for their next vaccinations. “Oh that’s going to be fun.” He sighed.

Solomon chuckled. “I recognize that look. I had it every time you had to go in for shots. You were a holy terror.”

“Syrus is too.” Yugi said. “Last time he kicked Yamato in the stomach.”

“The joys of having children.”

Yugi smiled softly. “They are a joy. I love them both. But Syrus will learn what time out is very quickly if he kicks the doctor again. Exam rooms have four corners, I will have him sit in one of them.”

Solomon laughed louder at that. “Yugi, you are horrible at punishing them. I bet he’ll do it again and you will just apologize until Yamato threatens to put _you_ in time out if you don’t stop.”

He couldn’t argue with his grandfather on that one.

They joined the boys in watching television soon after that. Syrus curled up on Yugi’s lap as Zane leaned against his side. The laziness of the day was starting to get to all of them. Yugi could feel himself drifting to sleep, his head resting on top of Zane’s.

A sudden crashing noise had all three jolting awake. Syrus whimpered, clinging to Yugi’s shirt and whining when lightning flashed in the sky. Zane flinched at the next roll of thunder, but didn’t move.

“There’s that storm!” Solomon looked out the window. “It should cool down after this.”

Yugi wasn’t listening, more focused on the boys. The weather so far that year had been pretty calm. The only storms that had come through were in the middle of the night when the boys were fast asleep. Zane didn’t seem to mind it too much, but Syrus whimpered every time thunder rumbled outside.

 _He’s scared of storms._ Yugi hugged Syrus, rocking him gently. “It’s alright.” He soothed.

The thunder did not stick around too long. Yugi spent the two hours it did rocking and comforting Syrus.

“I think it was just the sudden loud noise being too much for him.” Solomon said. Syrus seemed alright with the heavy rain that followed the thunder. “Most younger kids have that problem. He may have some sensitivity to his ears the doctor didn’t pick up on.”

“Yamato did want to do hearing tests in their next visit.” Yugi hoped Syrus was falling asleep now that things were more quiet. They had been spacing out the usual check-ups and testing that children younger than Zane and Syrus had, slowly getting them caught up to their age group. “He’s okay now.”

“Zane seems better off than Syrus.” Solomon nodded to his oldest great-grandson.

Zane was curled up against the arm of the couch, having moved when Yugi took to rocking Syrus. He was fast asleep, it seemed like nothing would wake him up any time soon.

 _One that sleeps heavily during storms, and one that’s terrified of them._ Yugi smiled softly, sighing when another round of thunder started up, waking Syrus. _At least one of us is going to sleep tonight._

He would stay awake with Syrus. Yugi remembered when he used to be afraid of storms. After a while, they just became a usual summer occurrence and he learned to ignore them. Joey being struck by lightning brought the fear back for a time, but Atem helped him through it. _And I’ll help Syrus. Don’t worry little one, there’s nothing to fear from them._

 

* * *

 

**First Time Being Sick: Zane (Warning: sick fic. Zane just has a high fever)**

When Zane wasn’t up by eight, Yugi grew worried.

Syrus had woken up early that day. The change in weather from spring to summer in June had thrown the three-year-old off of his usual sleep schedule with the different temperature. Soon, the A/C would be running full-time, and Yugi hoped that would help Syrus get back on his usual schedule.

He wasn’t up too early. Yugi woke at five, wanting to do some of the inventory for the shop before the boys woke up. Syrus being awake changed those plans, but only slightly. Yugi gave him a few strawberries to hold him over until breakfast along with a lidded cup of milk, and brought him down to the back room of the shop to eat while Yugi worked.

Inventory only took an hour. Syrus filled the time talking about anything and everything. Yugi listened with amusement to the story the child’s imagination was thinking up involving Kitty and Cyber running the shop for a day.

After that, he took Syrus back upstairs to watch early morning cartoons. There were reruns of shows Yugi watched when he was little, and seeing them again as an adult was different. Seeing them with a child who was the same age he was when the episodes first came out was an experience. Syrus seemed to be glued to the television, giving the show his full attention.

“You keep looking for clues, I’ll start on breakfast.” Yugi smiled, kissing the top of Syrus’ head. He received a nod in response before leaving for the kitchen.

 _What could we have today…_ Yugi wanted the boys to try different things as much as possible. He listened to requests of their favorites of course, but he wanted them to find more favorites.

He knew to stay away from most vegetables. Syrus would eat carrots, but celery was off limits. Zane liked both, but refused corn. Vegetables weren’t breakfast food anyway. Fruit was. Yugi decided they could try a few pieces of mango. _I could make parfaits._ Those didn’t require cooking.

Yugi wasn’t an expert by any means in the kitchen. There were only a few things that he could cook. Being home alone while his grandfather was out for archaeology work meant he had to fend for himself sometimes, and that led to experimentations and a lot of time looking up recipes online. A few had caught his interest, but most seemed confusing or long or out of his experience to make. He did like the cookbooks his grandfather brought home from different places, the ones he could read or translate correctly anyway.

And after burning burgers one day, Yugi decided microwave meals and fast food weren’t too bad to live on.

Now, it wasn’t just about him. He had Zane and Syrus to think of and feed too. They may have been alright with pizza, but he didn’t want them eating greasy fast food too much. Their stomachs were still adjusting to having regular meals. Doctor Yamato suggested giving them smaller meals more times a day, rather than three big meals a day. And giving them snacks. It would help them.

Yugi checked the time when he finished making breakfast and frowned. Eight in the morning was late for Zane, usually he was up by seven even without Yugi going to wake him. “Syrus? Stay there, okay?” He called into the living room.

“O’ay!” Syrus replied before laughing at something on the screen.

Yugi washed his hands, drying them off on a dish towel before heading up to the boys’ room. “Zane?” He peered in, growing concerned when Zane didn’t reply.

He was curled up on his bed, facing the wall. It was how he usually slept, but he seemed tense. Yugi walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Zane, are you alright?” He put his hand on Zane’s side, frowning.

 _He feels warm…_ Yugi moved closer, putting his hand on Zane’s forehead. Zane finally reacted, whimpering and pressing his head into Yugi’s hand.

“Dad… ‘s too warm…” He complained.

 _Oh no._ Zane was sick. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.” He headed to the bathroom, getting the thermometer. “Here Zane, sit up for a second.”

Yugi helped him sit up, checking his temperature. _Ninety-nine point seven…is that too high? Should I call the doctor?_ He wasn’t sure what to do. Yamato said they could get sick easily…what if it got worse?

He let Zane lay down again, heading back downstairs to help Syrus sit at the table and eat breakfast. Once Syrus was good on his own, Yugi texted Seto.

**Is 99.7 too high a temp? Should I take Zane to the doctor?**

The reply took a few minutes, Yugi remembering belatedly that Seto was at work.

**Sounds like he just has a summer cold. Tylenol, fluids, bed.**

**What if he gets worse? Or won’t drink anything? I only have liquid Tylenol.**

**Medicate him and he won’t. Make him. Good, children and Tylenol pills don’t mix.**

Straightforward answers, curt tone implied. Yugi sighed, deciding to text Joey. _Second opinion time._

**Joey help Zane is sick.**

**Medicine, soup, and sleep Yug. The less people over there the better so he don’t catch something else.**

Joey had a point. He didn’t want Zane to get worse, and having someone come over would raise that risk. Yugi could handle Zane being sick. He looked at Syrus, his youngest was halfway done with breakfast. The bowl and spoon he had couldn’t break, and magic barriers on either side of the chair made sure he wouldn’t fall.

He would be alright for a minute while Yugi brought Zane down. First, he would give Zane some medicine to bring down his fever. That, he didn’t want to do in front of Syrus. He still held fear and hate towards medicine, and didn’t trust it. It took Yugi most of the morning most days to coax him into taking the prescriptions that Yamato gave them.

Luckily, the boys were only on two now. The vitamins- gummies that Yugi hid in the parfait that morning- and something Yamato and Seto said would help them. It was one they only took at night, and Yugi knew it wouldn’t harm them.

Yugi grabbed the Tylenol, measuring out the right dose before going to Zane’s room. He was still curled up, facing Syrus’ bed, and looked at Yugi when he came in. Pity tugged at Yugi, being sick was never fun, and he was sure Zane wasn’t liking it at all.

“Here sweetheart.” He sat on the edge of the bed again, getting Zane to sit up. “This’ll help break your fever.”

Zane didn’t protest the medicine, he didn’t even look at it which worried Yugi. Usually he would look at it, feeling reassured if it looked the same as the last time he took it.

He was dreading the day Zane was older and realized he had to take different medicine, or a higher dose. He dreaded that day even more with Syrus.

“Come on. Let’s get you some water and I’ll start some soup.”

Carrying Zane downstairs, Yugi made sure he was comfortable on the couch before going back to the kitchen. Zane was wrapped up in a blanket, lying down with his head resting on a pillow. He looked downright miserable. _The medicine should start kicking in soon._ Yugi reminded himself.

He helped Syrus down off the chair to let him join Zane on the couch while Yugi put up the other parfaits, washed the dishes, and started on the soup. It didn’t take too long, once the soup was cooking, he looked in on the boys and barely hid the ‘aww’ that threatened to escape.

Zane was asleep on the couch. In his arms rested Kitty, he was hugging the stuffed cat tightly in his sleep. Syrus was at the other end of the couch, quietly watching something on the television. The sound from the machine was low, Yugi realized Syrus must have turned it down. _He’s seen me do it before, he must’ve remembered which button to press on the remote._

He wasn’t alone in getting Zane over his cold. It seemed that Syrus was ready to help out too.

 

* * *

 

**First Parent Question (Warning: Mentions of death, homophobia, and gender issues in a negative and positive light(AKA What Yugi told Malik about being called ‘mom’ is expanded on)(NOTE: This is one I can expand on in a separate fic if it’s wanted))**

“Daddy, do we have a mommy?”

If Yugi was honest, he was expecting that question at some point. He just hadn’t expected it so soon. And especially not the day after Christmas. It made sense though, so many Christmas movies and specials put emphasis on a traditional family. There were a few that had parents of the same sex or single parents, and Seto made sure to hunt those down to show to the boys. But the classics couldn’t be ignored either.

The marathon of movies was worth it to watch all three boys glued to the large television in the mansion’s living room.

“You don’t, Sy.” There was no use in lying.

“What about our mom?” It had been a while since Zane sounded so hesitant. “I sorta remember her… I think.”

“You might remember her.” Yugi soothed. Zane sometimes became upset with his memories, trying to figure out what he truly remembers, and what his mind made up for him to remember. “I think…you would have been almost three when…when you moved to Domino. It’s possible that you do remember her.”

“Where is she?” Syrus questions.

 _That_ was what Yugi was dreading. He expected that question from Zane, and wouldn’t keep it from him, but Syrus? _What do I tell him?_

Zane solved the dilemma for him. “She didn’t come with us. Is she…in the Afterlife?”

“We…believe so.” Yugi sat down on his bed, Syrus and Zane climbing up to sit on either side of him. “When I first found you, Seto and Mokuba set to work trying to find out who you were, where you’re from, if you have any other family.”

“We have you.” Syrus spoke up.

“Yes, but I mean family related by blood, like maybe your mother’s mother, or a brother or sister of her’s.” Yugi explained. “We found a picture of you two in Russia, with a man and a woman, your father and mother.”

Zane grimaced. “He’s not our father.”

“Not anymore.” Yugi agreed. “However, we found another picture, of you two with just that man in Tokyo.”

“Did he?”

Yugi shrugged. “We can’t find him.” He wouldn’t ask Zane where they lived before. He couldn’t. They were still searching, and that man would trip up at some point.

They sat in silence for a moment, Zane leaning on Yugi as he thought about what his dad had said. Syrus just looked at the floor.

“Syrus? Are you, upset about not having a mom?” Yugi asked.

“No.” Syrus hugged Yugi. “I love you, daddy.”

Yugi smiled, hugging Syrus and kissing the top of his head. “I love you too Sy.” He replied.

“Can we have a mommy?”

 _Yep. Expected that one too._ Yugi chuckled. “It’s not that easy Syrus. I’m already married.” Not that parents had to be married. Seto and Joey were doing just fine without a marriage.

“So we do have a mommy?”

“No, you…you would have another dad, like Jaden does.”

“Would?” Zane asked. “Dad, are you married to Atem? You always talk about him, and you said ‘would have’, not just ‘have’.”

Yugi’s smile turned softer. _Glad to see grammar and vocabulary are becoming your strong points._ “Yes.”

“So we have two daddies.” Syrus nodded. “But that man said that bad.”

The smile dropped into a frown. He knew who Syrus was talking about. When Joey took the boys to the mall to do Christmas shopping, he told Yugi what happened. Seto had been furious, and didn’t join in the light scolding Zane received for the choice words he said to the man.

Still, he knew the boys would face troubles like that. Even troubles caused by themselves. So much media had families as a mother and a father, how would the boys react to it as they grew up?

“It’s not bad.” Zane said. “That man was bad. Like a sour strawberry.”

“Oh.”

Simple explanation, but enough to satisfy Syrus.

“And dad’s like a mom too.” Zane continued. “In the movie, didn’t the mom cook and clean and take care of her kids?”

Syrus nodded. “Yes!”

“And doesn’t dad do that?”

“Yes! So…daddy is our mommy?”

Yugi chuckled. Zane was only confusing Syrus at that point. “I don’t mind being called that.” He finally said.

“But aren’t moms girls?” It was Zane’s turn to be confused.

“Usually.” Yugi nodded. “But they’re just words you call your parents. Dad, mom, it doesn’t really matter. Like how Syrus calls me daddy, but you call me dad. I still listen to both.”

Whatever they were comfortable calling him, Yugi didn’t mind. He was already Queen, technically Atem’s Royal Wife, though history would protest against him taking the title. Atem gave him the title, no one else held it, even back then. If he could be Queen, why not mom?

“Okay daddy.” Syrus hugged him again, Zane joining in the hug.

Yugi hugged them both tightly. _We’ll figure things out. Call me whatever you want, it will never change the fact that you two are my sons._

 

* * *

 

**First Temper Tantrum: Syrus (Note: I couldn’t help but laugh while writing this because it just seems so silly.)**

It was so unexpected, Yugi didn’t know how to react at first.

Syrus was sitting on the floor, crying, because Yugi wouldn’t let him cut the strawberries.

He had to repeat it to himself a few more times to fully grasp the situation. Syrus, his three-year-old son, was sitting on the floor, crying with actual tears, because Yugi would not let him handle a sharp object, to cut strawberries for snack time.

“I want to cut them!” Syrus wailed.

A laugh of disbelief almost escaped Yugi. In the three months the boys had been with him, Syrus had _never_ thrown a fit unless Yugi was trying to get him to take medicine.

And now, he was throwing a fit over a knife.

Yugi didn’t know what to do. He knew he wasn’t giving Syrus the knife. So he looked to Zane, who was sitting wide-eyed at the kitchen table. The laugh that tried to escape died when he realized Zane was looking in slight fear.

Like something bad would happen to them because of Syrus’ arguing.

“Syrus.” Yugi put down the knife, well away from the edge of the countertop, and crouched down in front of his youngest. “Sy, you can’t cut the strawberries yet.”

“I want to!”

“I know.” Making up lies wouldn’t help, Yugi decided on the second day of being a parent to them that he wouldn’t do that unless necessary, and he would talk with the boys through every hurdle they came to. “But the knife is too sharp Syrus. I don’t want you to get hurt. Look.”

Yugi held out his hand. Syrus stopped wailing, but he still had to rub the tears from his eyes to see. On Yugi’s index finger was a sharp scar. “When I was younger, I tried to cut something for dinner, and ended up cutting my hand instead. It really hurt. That’s why I’m not letting you cut the strawberries.”

“I want to.” Syrus repeated with a whimper.

Yugi smiled. “I know Sy.” An idea started to form in his head. “How about this, we can make strawberry-shaped jell-o. Then you can cut that with a spoon, would that be okay? We can even put some strawberries in it.”

“O’ay.” Syrus hugged Yugi.

First tantrum; defused. Yugi wasn’t exactly looking forward to the next, but he knew it would happen. They would handle it when it did though. And no amount of fits could make him love his sons any less.

* * *

 

**First Time Being Sick: Syrus(with a twist!) (Warning: sick 3-year-old, mentions of vomiting)**

Zane being sick was scary, Syrus being sick was terrifying.

He seemed so weak from the rough night of being up with a high fever and getting sick a few times. Yugi kept a close eye on him, getting Syrus to drink some water to at least stay hydrated.

Around seven in the morning, he finally called Joey. “I need help.” He begged. His grandfather was at some two day convention for game shop owners, leaving him with the boys alone. And he couldn’t handle the sickness alone.

“I’ll be right over.” Joey didn’t ask questions, and in just a few minutes, there was the familiar sound of the door to the house opening and closing. Yugi almost cried in relief as Joey joined him in the boys’ room.

Zane was slowly waking up, he had been up the first two times Syrus started crying because the fever kept him awake, but Yugi eventually coaxed him to go back to sleep. Yugi was sitting on Syrus’ bed, rocking him gently. It seemed to help, Syrus was drifting in and out of sleep at least, which was better than him being fully awake.

“Sy sick?” Yugi nodded. “How bad?”

“Worse than Zane.” Yugi said worriedly. “He’s thrown up a few times, but he’s been keeping water down okay. He’s burning up too, but I couldn’t give him anything, I didn’t want him to get sick again.”

Joey sat down next to Yugi, putting his hand on Syrus’ forehead. “It’s not too high, you’re freezing Yug’ that’s why he seems way too hot.” His hand moved to Yugi’s forehead. “I think you caught what Sy here has.”

“No. I can’t be sick.” Yugi denied. “Syrus-“

“Needs you, I know Yug. That doesn’t mean you can’t be sick too.” Joey pointed out.

With Joey there, Yugi was more aware of his own tiredness. He did feel a bit sluggish with his movements, and his head felt heavy and clouded over. _Oh Ra, I am sick._

Yugi groaned, leaning into Joey’s hand on his forehead. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Take some medicine and sleep.” Joey instructed. “You and Sy both.”

“Dad’s sick too?” Zane was fully awake.

Joey nodded. “Yep kiddo. So him and Sy are gonna get some sleep.”

“But school work-“

“Yug’, I can handle first grade stuff.” Joey said with a grin. “I can watch Zane, make some soup for you two. You focus on Syrus.”

Yugi could do little else but agree. He left only to get the medicine, taking his before taking the children’s medicine to Syrus. It was more worrying that he didn’t fight Yugi as he gave it to him. Joey reassured him that it was normal now.

“It’s been a few months, ‘course he’s gonna trust ya now with this. Plus he’s sick, if you say it’ll help, he’ll believe ya.”

Yugi was concerned about that. He’d have to make sure the boys knew to _never_ take anything that a stranger gave them unless he said it was alright. They waited a little, making sure Syrus could keep the medicine down, before Yugi moved to his room.

They tried getting Syrus to sleep on his own, but he would fuss until Yugi picked him up again. So Yugi made sure he was comfortable before laying down, making sure Syrus was between the wall and him. He didn’t want Syrus falling out of the bed that was taller than his own.

Joey went downstairs with Zane, that was the last thing Yugi was aware of before sleep finally claimed him.

He woke around an hour later to Syrus fussing. The three-year-old was still asleep, at least. “It’s alright.” Yugi soothed. “You’re okay Sy.” Once he was calm, Yugi fell asleep once more.

He would be more careful, Yugi decided before sleeping. He couldn’t afford to be sick, not when the boys needed him.

 

* * *

 

**First “Royal” Lesson (And Family Tree. Featuring Jaden! And Seto talking about being a reincarnation with Set’s memories)(Note: Please excuse terrible descriptions of clothing and/or wrong names of clothing if any.)(Warning: Talk of panic attacks, and Yugi in a dress.)**

“Daddy a queen?”

“Yeah. Because Atem was a Pharaoh, like a king, and they were married. So dad is a queen.”

Yugi peered over the boy’s shoulder at the book the three were crowded around. _One of my ancient Egypt books._ He blinked in surprise. A few weeks ago, he had given the boys free access to the books he had. Yugi never expected they would choose that one over the manga and American comics he had.

“The term Atem used was Royal Wife.” Yugi spoke up, making the boys look up. “Translations can sometimes get twisted though, so queen would fit too.” _Not to mention I’m not exactly a wife._

“Nuisance is more appropriate at times.”

Yugi looked unimpressed at Seto. The CEO had come over with Jaden and Joey after a disaster at Kaiba Corp. Something happened to trigger a panic attack for Jaden. Seto hadn’t been clear, Yugi only picked up on the annoyance, anger, and slight regret in his magic as he snapped something about firing idiots into his cell phone as they came in.

Joey carried Jaden in, looking worried and apologetic. “Thanks Yugi.” He said. He had texted Yugi before they came, wondering if it was alright to bring Jaden over after the ordeal, he wanted to see Zane and Syrus. Yugi agreed, of course. If being with his cousins would help, Yugi wouldn’t turn him down.

Seto had been in a mood ever since. Yugi ignored it for the most part, but whipped at Seto’s magic with irritation. He could be snippy towards Yugi, just not in front of the boys.

“Alright, _priest_ Set.” Yugi stressed the title.

“Papa’s a priest? But don’ they got like those collars?” Jaden asked.

Yugi shook his head. “Not Egyptian priests. I’m not too familiar with the clothing, other than what Atem wore, but I know it wasn’t long black robes with white collars. The heat made black an impractical- a bad- choice.”

“Oh.” Jaden nodded. “Okay.”

Syrus pulled the book closer, turning the page. “Daddy wear that then?” He pointed to a picture.

“A dress?” Zane asked.

Yugi looked at the picture. The woman Syrus was pointing at was in a dress, Yugi was unsure of the correct name for the style. The boys had chosen the easiest book, one that was translated fully, so it was only listed as a royal dress. The coloring of it was light, an off-white color with blues and gold woven into it.

“I don’t have anything like that.” Yugi told them.

“But ya do got a dress.” Joey grinned. “I saw it before.”

“Yes.” Yugi rolled his eyes. “Since we were mixing a few different ceremonies, I went with something a bit more traditional.”

“And you still got it too.”

The three boys looked at Yugi. “Is it pretty?” Jaden asked.

“Can we see it daddy?” Syrus questioned.

“Oh yes, what did you and Atem come up with?” Seto smirked. “According to Set’s memories, Atem couldn’t dress himself to look presentable even if you only gave him one option.”

Yugi knew it was a challenge. He knew he shouldn’t take the bait. He should be a reasonable adult and not stoop to petty games.

Yet he found himself standing in front of his closet with a look of determination. Seto wanted to play a game? He could play, but Yugi would win. _This’ll put all those designer labels you have to shame Seto._

“Are ya sure you should’ve said that like that?” Joey sat down next to Seto on the couch, the boys leaving the book on the table to join them. He picked up Syrus, Jaden climbing onto Seto’s lap, and Zane sitting on Joey’s other side.

“He was starting to get that look.” Seto explained. “Figured we should cut it off with distraction. Besides, Atem really was _horrible_ with clothing. I remember having to help him nearly daily.”

“You won’t have to help Yug’.” Joey smiled knowingly. “Just wait, the dress even made _me_ a bit jealous. Hell, it could make Tristan jealous, and he’d go naked before he’d wear a dress!”

“Language.” Seto snapped, glaring at Joey.

“Heh, sorry there Seto.” Joey’s smile turned apologetic.

“Really Joey, do we need to start a swear jar?”

The boys gasped, making Joey and Seto turn towards the steps leading to the upstairs bedrooms.

Yugi stood at the foot of them. The first thing they noticed was his hair was down, tamed with water and a bit of styling gel. It wouldn’t hold for too long, no styling products ever kept his hair out of the familiar shape for more than an hour, if even that. His hair was rather long, the deep purple tips almost reaching his mid back. Golden bangs framed his face, Yugi giving up on trying to put them in any other style after a few minutes. A golden circlet rested around his head, the ruby in the center the same color as Atem’s eyes.

The dress was something else. Yugi’s chest was completely flat, but the dress was made just for that fact. The halter neck rest just under the Millennium Necklace that replaced Yugi’s usual collar. The white fabric flowed down to just under his chest, where golden satin was woven into a rope, draping all the way around him and making up the top part of the open back. From the gold rope, the white satin below it was tinged and swirled with a sky blue color, going to a full, rich blue where the dress ended just above Yugi’s ankles. His shoulders were bare, but just below them were long, flowing sleeves colored a translucent sky blue. He wore a pair of white sandals with the outfit.

“Well? Still think Atem’s tastes are horrible?” Yugi asked hesitantly. Wearing the dress, _his_ _wedding dress_ , in front of Atem or Joey was a lot different than wearing it in front of Seto. It was only around fourteen months ago the two were fighting like enemies, and before that, Seto didn’t even _see_ him. He just saw Atem, and Yugi was nothing but a vessel.

“I guess you were a good influence on his tastes.”

Yugi sighed in relief, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He knew most people would react less than favorable to someone who was male wearing a dress. Seto hadn’t.

“What? Did you expect me to think it weird and wrong?” Seto accused lightly. “It would be hypocritical, given who I am, wouldn’t it?”

“Wearing the robes of a priest is a lot different from wearing a wedding dress.” Yugi said.

“It’s pretty!” Jaden grined. “Like a princess!”

“No. Daddy’s queen!” Syrus corrected, Zane nodding in agreement.

Yugi twisted the ring on his finger. A nervous habit he picked up in the past months. After putting on the ring on the anniversary of the Ceremonial Duel, he never took it off. That made things during the tournament exciting. Everyone wondering about it and questioning him on this hidden spouse of his. Yugi’s only reply to the questions would be a soft, sad smile. Seto would step in before they could ask again, though one time it was Duke who saved him, making his relationship with Tristan public by kissing him senseless in front of the cameras.

“Wait,” Jaden said, “if Yugi’s queen-“

“Actually, he’s pharaoh.” Seto said, looking at his son. “Atem named him his successor- the next pharaoh- before he left.”

“And Zane and Sy are his sons. So are they princes?”

Seto blinked. _Oh, he hadn’t thought of that yet._ Yugi realized. He and Joey talked about it before, Yugi deciding to wait until the boys were older to bother with any of that. They just forgot to inform Seto of that conversation.

“Yes.” Yugi confirmed. “They are. And Zane, as the oldest, is my heir.”

Zane looked confused. “What does that mean?”

“It means that, should something happen to me, the title of pharaoh goes to you.” Yugi answered. “But I’m not leaving you anytime soon. What it means for right now, is nothing. You’re still young.”

“But we gonna learn?” Syrus tilted his head.

Yugi smiled softly. “You will. For now, let the first lesson be patience.”

He would teach them everything he knew, and help teach Jaden if Seto allowed. He wanted all three to have a chance to just be children first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: My brother has been watching Tekken and said “Yugi should throw Zane off a cliff”
> 
> Disclaimer: I am NOT having Yugi throw Zane off a cliff.
> 
> Christmas is going to be it’s own fic. Because that’s going to be something huge, given that Jaden was adopted about….five days before Christmas. Which means Joey and Seto had no time to plan. And Yugi, who planned out Christmas for his sons a while ago, gets to watch them “suffer” as he did.
> 
> And this chapter isn’t “complete” really. There’s a ton of firsts I could/want to do, but I’m really excited to start the next arc so I’ll probably include batches of firsts between the second and third arcs. So if you want more firsts, don’t worry! More are on the way!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold and Silver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obvious Pokemon reference is obvious. FINALLY WE HIT THE HEAVY STUFF. AND THE TAGS ARE BEING CHANGED.
> 
> TO RECAP: 6 months after DSoD, Yugi finds two children who hold the next generation of Shadow Magic. They were sold into a human trafficking ring, and would have been killed if not for the three Cyber Dragons. Abused, scared, and very young, two-year-old Syrus and five-year-old Zane are adopted by Yugi after a lengthy talk with Seto and Pegasus. Yugi takes to parenting quite well, and Zane and Syrus finally see how a family is supposed to be.  
> Pegasus searches for the Millennium Items again, wanting to put them under better protection to prevent another disaster, but moves his attention to a new contest when mysterious Duel Spirits appear, but are just out of everyone’s reach. He believes another magic user can see them, and finds this in the contest’s winner, Jaden Yuki. Jaden, a homeless four-year-old, is quickly adopted by Seto and Joey.  
> Meanwhile, Seto puts on Battle City 2.0, really it’s just another chance for him to challenge Yugi. Things end on a tense note however, as Pegasus reveals the Millennium Necklace and a piece of the Millennium Puzzle have been discovered in Qatar. With their discovery, the three Sacred Beasts appear and bring some havoc and a lot of chaos along with them.  
> THIS CHAPTER: Is going to be a look at the three years that have passed since Chapter 12. It was always my intention to have a huge time skip, that was one of the first things I had planned. What wasn’t planned, was the Necklace being found so early. I did plan it to be found first, because the Items are getting new owners and, hopefully to no one’s surprise now, Yugi is the new owner of the Millennium Necklace. The only Item not being moved about, is the Puzzle, and that is explained why later.
> 
> BIG NOTE: Paragraphs in italics are FLASHBACKS. (There’s also a future vision, but that’s not in italics.)
> 
> Warning: Mentions of choking, mentions of death, messing with history, mentions of blood

“Daddy! Zane’s cheating!”

“I am not! Look Sy, it’s perfectly fair!”

Yugi chuckled, letting his head rest on the kitchen counter. “Do we need to restart the duel _again_ boys?”

“No!” Came twin replies from the living room.

Three years, and Yugi was sure he was raising little dueling terrors now.

His oldest, nine-year-old Zane, had taken to dueling like a fish to water. He learned quickly, able to pick out every combination in his now complete deck and work with almost any starting hand. Even at his young age, he gave any opponent a good duel.

Six-year-old Syrus was a bit slower to catch onto dueling, but Yugi was patient. Syrus was young, and doing better than Zane had at six. There were a few cards missing from his deck, mainly fusion monsters that Pegasus was still working on and a few trap cards that were specific to his monsters. He could hold his own without the cards, impressing his dad and uncles.

 _It’s been three years._ Yugi could hardly believe it. Things were going so well, so _normal_. Even with…

He touched the cool gold around his neck. The Millennium Necklace. Right after Seto’s tournament, Rafael pulled them away to show what they had found in Qatar. Yugi was right that the necklace had changed shape, where it had hung around Ishizu’s neck like a proper necklace, it now hugged Yugi’s throat like a choker. The feeling scared him at first, bringing back memories of the Puzzle being used to try and choke the life out of him before. But the Necklace hadn’t moved, and he could hide it under his usual collar.

It wouldn’t show him the future like it used to, however. That made him worry.

_“It is probably nothing” Ishizu soothed. “They have been away from anyone who holds the power of the Shadows for quite some time, it may just need recharged.”_

_“Or the future keeps changing.” Malik muttered as he passed by. He was heading to Tokyo, to check on the Sacred Beast that had appeared there. “Or there is no future.”_

Malik had been wrong. Three years had passed since then, so there _was_ a future. Yugi had a feeling he was correct about the future changing rapidly. The Necklace showed one possible outcome, but if there were too many to choose, Yugi thought it could just not work properly.

Locked away, in the same treasured box he first found it in, was the Puzzle piece. Looking at it, holding it, was painful but peaceful at the same time. The thing that first brought him and Atem together, the thing that separated them. That first night after receiving the piece, he cried himself to sleep.

They stayed at the mansion, Seto ordering it, saying it was safer. Even grandpa stayed with them. And Yugi broke down, sobbing and clutching the Puzzle piece. He worried the three boys, but his grandfather and Joey handled them. Seto was the one to handle Yugi, hugging him tightly with a tenseness Yugi had never felt in Seto, but felt many times himself. The CEO, no, the priest was barely holding himself together to keep from crying as well over his cousin.

Grief was replaced with worry, fear, a readiness for a fight. The first few months kept everyone on edge. Malik and Ryou were unable to track the Sacred Beasts, which meant they were missing, and they had no idea if or when they would attack. Pegasus worked with a new urgency, trying to figure out something, anything that could help. Malik went back to Egypt with Ishizu, and Ryou decided, demanded to be added to the search for the Items.

_“You found the Necklace, and a piece of the Puzzle.” Ryou pointed out, looking more serious than Yugi had ever seen. “Everyone knows what that means.”_

_With dread, Yugi figured it out quickly. “The Ring’s next.” He muttered. Of course it was. Whatever magic Bakura, Akeifa, used on it was strong. If they were finding Puzzle pieces… “Ryou-“_

_“No Yugi.” It took everything he had for Yugi not to flinch. Ryou sounded like- “I’m the only one who can control it. Manny and Diva proved that. Zorc’s magic is still inside it, I can control that.”_

Ryou had a point. Yet in three years, no other Item reappeared. Not even another Puzzle piece. No rumors, no leads, nothing. Around the first year mark, everyone began to relax. No use in worrying themselves into a fit. Yugi couldn’t relax however, neither could Ryou or Malik.

He hid it well around the boys. Keeping up with Zane’s schooling, getting Syrus started on school subjects, dueling, magic, parenting, it kept him busy. The home renovations and ones to the game shop attached to it were complete at least, so he didn’t have to worry about that. Zane and Syrus each had their own room now, though both rooms were connected by a door between them. They were still just across the hall from Yugi in the attic.

Neither of his sons had trouble with nightmares anymore either. Their past was just that, the past. Now the only screams Yugi woke up to were when the boys would feign sleep, only to stay up to duel or study and have something not go the way one of them wanted. Those times, he was more than happy to let Cyber handle it, the smug dragon getting the boys to bed without much difficulty.

He had every right to be smug. Almost exactly two years since their adoption, Zane and Syrus’ biological father showed up at the game shop. Zane recognized him immediately, freezing up and wrapping his magic tight around Syrus and Yugi.

Yugi moved both boys behind him, staring up at the man who came into the shop screaming and trying to reach for the boys. He had shoved Yugi out of the way, grabbing Syrus first.

And that was his biggest mistake of the day, aside from showing up in the first place.

There were cameras everywhere, thanks to Seto’s paranoia. No doubt Seto, Joey, the cops, probably some of Seto’s own security team as well, were on their way. But when the man grabbed Syrus, Zane reacted first.

_“Let him go!” Zane screamed, his magic darkening as he pulled Cyber, Chrome, and Silver into existence. The three dragons roared behind him._

_Syrus whimpered. “Daddy!” He broke free when the man froze in fear at the sight of the three dragons, running over to Yugi. Yugi hugged him tightly, hiding Syrus behind him again as he summoned Mahaad and Celtic._

_“Guard Syrus.” He ordered, walking to the man. Yugi only paused when he brought out a gun._

_“One more step and I kill you with these brats! Should’ve done it in the first place, worthless shits, like their bitch of a mother. Only good for one thing, that whore.”_

_“Shut up!” Zane said. “Don’t talk about her like that!”_

_The gun fired, bullet lodging in Silver’s tail as he wrapped it around Zane. Cyber and Chrome hissed at the injury their brother received._

_There was a flash of light, and Yugi was grateful for the renovations now. There was no way the old shop could hold the Cyber End Dragon. Cyber End stared down the man, curling protectively around Zane._

_He had summoned it without the fusion card or polymerization. Yugi felt a stab of pride at that._

Everything had gone downhill for that bastard after that. Seto showed up with Joey, but without any law enforcement. He knew what that meant. It was an affair to be handled outside of Japan’s jurisdiction. With a small nod, he had given the power to decide the man’s fate to Seto.

There was nothing more terrifying and disgusting than watching dragons hunt in a confined space. Two Blue Eyes, a Red Eyes, Gandora, X, and the Cyber End Dragon. That was the man’s fate. One that his sons would _never_ watch. They would know he was gone, and the would _never_ see him again, but that was all.

The triumphant satisfaction in Zane’s eyes made Yugi wonder if the Cyber Dragons had listened to the gag order at all. Either way, Yugi had finally given the Cyber End Dragon card to Zane. He was ready for it, the Cyber legacy was his.

As for their biological father, Yugi found it rather…anticlimactic. They had no new clues as to the boys’ mother, no records were found in their old home of her or the boys, and he wouldn’t talk other than to insult her. He didn’t even say why he came back for the boys. There was something about his eyes that worried Yugi. He seemed almost possessed.

“Alright boys.” Yugi lifted his head from the countertop, standing up straight. “We have to head out now.”

They were meeting Seto and Joey at Kaiba Corp, Seto summoning him there after debating a few things in his own head. Yugi had no clue what was going on in there, other than he would slip more often with letting his emotions through his magic. _Side effect of having kids. Concentration begins to fade._ Yugi was used to balancing twelve different things at once, with two children to take care of. Seto only had one, and while he had practice with Mokuba, Jaden was a whole different story.

The seven-year-old was a perfect mix of Seto and Joey. He was ahead in his studies, almost at the same level as Zane, but would slack off and joke around more often than not. Putting the three boys together was a disaster waiting to happen. Jaden was the leader, Syrus following along with most of his plans. Zane tried to be the voice of reason, but would go along after noticing his protests, no matter how reasonable, typically fell on deaf ears. If push came to shove however, he would pull the age card. He was oldest, so he was in charge of their little group.

Mokuba was finally trusted with babysitting again, just never at the same time as Noah, and he would call how unfair that was. Being a younger sibling himself, he knew most of the protests Zane could give. Many were the same ones Seto gave him when they were younger.

Serenity was unavailable to babysit. The year after the tournament, she was one of the first students in Duel Academy. She was offered the top spot as an Obelisk Blue, but declined it to join Slifer Red.

 _“Impossible! Obelisk Blue is the_ only _girl’s dorm!” Crowler explained._

_“Well then add in one for the Slifers.” Serenity retorted. “Or don’t. I don’t mind the boy’s outfit.”_

_They both had a good point. “Seto, why is there only one girl’s dorm?” Yugi questioned._

_“Have you met the girls we duel with Yug’?” Joey asked in reply. “Would you put any of them in Slifer or Ra?”_

It still made no sense to Yugi how the only girl’s dorm, the only girl’s outfit, were both for Obelisk Blue. It seemed unfair on so many levels. The first being that girls had no choice, you either had high enough marks to be a Blue, or you didn’t get in. Seto explained it wasn’t like that.

_“I used the demographics from the polls Kaiba Corp did. The female interest in the Academy just wasn’t large enough to warrant three separate dorms. It doesn’t mean they have to have the highest marks, Serenity’s are really only at a Ra Yellow level for her written exams. It’s just simpler and more cost-effective to have one dorm for all the girls.”_

_“This way, the tuition stays low and no one has to worry about co-ed dorms.” Seto explained. “Some parents would protest dorms like that.”_

No one protested Serenity staying in the Slifer dorms, not parents anyway. Joey and Seto did bring up concerns about the dorm conditions to the board, only to be shut down with crude reasoning. “If they have a dorm like Obelisk Blue, how will they ever strive to do better and move up?”

Seto hated it, but the board voted unanimously to keep it the same. His hands were tied. At least he had one thing the board couldn’t take away from the dorm. They did get the best view of the ocean, and the sunset. Something amazing to keep moral up, hopefully.

It was her third year now, and Serenity was an Obelisk Blue. She worked hard to get to the position, just as she wanted to do. Having been in Slifer her first year, Ra her second, it was actually a good move on her part.

She explained that she wanted to prove to everyone that status didn’t matter. She was the sister of Seto’s now fiancé, yet she wasn’t automatically top of the class in her first year. She was a new duelist, yet she was able to work her way into Obelisk Blue. She showed the fairness of the school, something appealing to parents, and how you could work your way up the ladder, something appealing to students.

Yugi took the boys outside to wait for the car Seto was sending after saying a quick goodbye to his grandfather. He put on his black collar over the Millennium Necklace, taking care to adjust it just right to hide the gold. It dug into his throat some, but not enough to hurt. He shoved down the panic that tried to surface.

 _I’m not choking._ He reminded himself. _It’s the Necklace. Not a chain._

“We’re gonna go play with Jaden?” Syrus questioned.

Yugi nodded. “Yes Sy. I have to talk to Seto about some work matters, so Noah’s going to watch you three.”

Over the past few years, Yugi and Seto discovered something so obvious, it actually made Seto just turn and walk out of the room when Yugi brought it up. An easier way to summon their monsters- or brother, in Noah’s case- to their dimension.

A simple spell card. Dimension Fusion. It was a card Yugi noticed sometimes in Zane’s deck. His oldest liked to experiment with deck styles that put cards out of play instead of the graveyard. It did make summoning Cyber End and Chimeratech Overdragon a lot easier. But when Yugi saw the card, he figured the real world use for it would be even simpler.

Widen the portal between the two worlds, which would mean less magic would be used on both ends to summon a monster. Of course, the first use- only use- took enough magic from the five oldest users to leave all in magical exhaustion for a few days. It was worth it, the portal increased in size.

There was danger in having it open wider, but with the inclusion of new Cyber monsters, both Zane’s and Syrus’, as well as Jaden’s new Elemental Heroes, the portal was well protected. It did, however, come with another bonus.

The God Cards.

_Yugi’s eyes widened as he looked at the dragon in PC-1. Seto had named the cell they held the Cyberdark Dragon in, Portal Cell 1. But it wasn’t the Cyberdark Dragon in it now. “Slifer?”_

_The God dragon turned, rumbling what sounded to be a greeting as he peered down at Yugi. “How…”_

_“We’re not sure, sir.” The scientist in charge said. “He just appeared. We tried to contact Mr. Kaiba, but it…growled at that suggestion.”_

_Yugi walked into the cell, Slifer bending his head down towards Yugi. “You’re here.” Yugi whispered, resting his forehead against Slifer’s jaw as he closed his eyes. “How is he?”_

_The Gods did not reside in his dimension, or the Spirit dimension. They existed between dimensions, and between the living and the Afterlife. Yugi reached up to pet Slifer, chuckling at the noise outside of the room. They must make quite the picture, an Egyptian God, letting a small human touch him. “Osiris, how is Atem?”_

_He purred. Yugi couldn’t hide his smile, or the tears. The mark on his shoulder burned for a second before calming._

Seeing the God again was nice. Slifer had been Yugi’s favorite of the three. And introducing Syrus and Zane to him had been quite the experience. The largest dragon the two had seen up to that point was Deep-Eyes, who was a good head or so taller than the Blue Eyes Ultimate. Slifer made both seem as small as a Baby Dragon.

He seemed to approve of the two, which Yugi was grateful for.

It wasn’t long before Roland came with the car. “Uncle Roland!” Syrus smiled. “I almost beat Zane in a duel!”

Yugi laughed. It hadn’t taken too long for Syrus to join Jaden in calling Roland ‘uncle’. Seto’s head of security spent almost as much time around the boys as anyone else did. And as much as Roland tried to parent Seto and Mokuba, Yugi thought he was lucky that the boys didn’t call him ‘grandpa’ too.

That was reserved for Solomon and Pegasus. The younger of the two just couldn’t shake the title no matter his protests. “To be fair,” Yugi had to point out, “you _do_ treat me and Seto like we’re your children.”

Seto said nothing in protest, nor in agreement.

“I don’t suppose Seto told you what’s so urgent?” Yugi asked as Roland drove them to Kaiba Corp.

“All I know is that it involves that Necklace.” Roland replied.

Yugi sighed. _I knew it. Peace never lasts for long._

* * *

 

He dropped off the boys with Noah, kissing their forehead and leaving a quick reminder to “be good and don’t get into trouble.”

Roland led him to one of the labs that doubled as a magical containment room. Seto had made quite a few more advancements with his technology. _And his ego grew with it._ He was hellbent on proving that technology could beat magic.

Yugi would believe it when one of his creations actually worked in holding back his magic. So far, Yugi had a winning streak against everything Seto tested on him. It didn’t matter if magic couldn’t build an elevator into space. Yugi liked to think magic had enough sentience to not even attempt it.

Security seemed even tighter, and that set Yugi on edge. When they finally reached the lab, he realized why.

Seto and Joey were standing in the middle of the room, looking at a cylinder holding unit. Inside the unit, the Quantum Cube floated.

“What is this?” Yugi walked forward, past Roland and closer to Seto and Joey.

Joey turned around first. Three years hadn’t changed much, other than the dark red button up shirt and darker jeans his friend wore now. His hair was a bit shorter, but still styled the same, as in not at all. He seemed to be taking good care of himself at least, having a young child to take care of was a good way to get him into shape.

He still needed reassurance from time to time that he wouldn’t end up like his father, but Seto handled that well. And Joey helped Seto learn how to parent too. They were good for each other. Yugi couldn’t wait for the wedding. He and Tristan had quite a few bets going on with that.

“Yug’. Seto has an idea to find the other Items, and maybe get the Necklace workin’ again.” Joey said hesitantly. He seemed as unsure as Yugi about having the Quantum Cube there.

When Seto first found the Cube, he initially gave it to Yugi.

_“It’s yours, Pharaoh.” He was the first person after Atem to call Yugi that. There was no malice behind the word, or in how he held out the Cube to Yugi. “It’s a Millennium Item, Diva called it as such.”_

_“But it’s not mine.” Yugi denied. “It’s too dangerous.”_

The Cube was then stored on the Kaiba Corp space station. Yugi still found it a bit much that Kaiba felt the need to attach an _elevator_ from the ground to the station, but he was grateful to it when it took the Cube up quickly. Seto kept it in a magic dampening box, that was nowhere to be seen now.

“Using the Cube that almost destroyed this dimension.” Yugi said.

“The Items did the same.” Seto pointed out. “If we can use the Cube’s power, more than what I have connected to our disks, we may have an answer to a lot of problems.”

Yugi sighed. There was so much that could go wrong. Had all this happened before he adopted his sons, Yugi would have probably agreed right away. But he had more to think of than just his life. “What do you suggest?” He could at least hear Seto out.

“The Cube is active right now.” Seto begins. “I think just having the Necklace near it should activate it.”

“And what makes you think it can activate the Items?”

“It activated the Puzzle before.”

Yugi blinked. “Explain.”

“When you put the last piece into the Puzzle, nothing happened.” Seto said. “It wasn’t until the Cube attacked you that Atem was able to come back. It reacts to Millennium Items.”

“How do you know it wasn’t the Ring’s doing?” Yugi countered.

“We don’t, but all signs point to it being the Cube. Did the Puzzle react every time you were around the Ring? Try it.”

Yugi closed his eyes. Almost four years since that battle, yet the Cube still seemed intimidating. What other choice did they have though? For Seto to grasp at straws like he was, either the search for the other Items was wearing him thin, or something was going to happen.

“Open it.”

Seto nodded sharply, moving Joey to stand with Mokuba and Roland at the control panel. Yugi stood alone in front of the Cube, removing the collar around his neck to reveal the Necklace. The holding unit opened with a quick _beep_ once Mokuba pressed a few buttons.

At first, nothing happened. Yugi felt a bit foolish just standing there and staring at the still floating Cube. It just glowed, like normal. _Is this it?_

He reached up to touch the Necklace, and suddenly the Cube flashed. Yugi gasped, the Necklace growing warm around his neck. He felt his magic connect to the familiar warmth, memories of Battle City hitting him hard. The last time he and Atem used it, to see if Joey would be okay. The pain, the sorrow, the joy, all flooded him.

“It’s working.” Seto muttered, hitting a few more buttons. “Yugi, hold the connection, we’re going to try to harvest some of the Cube’s power.”

 _What connection?_ Yugi wanted to ask, but something about the Necklace kept him from speaking. _And why harvest the Cube’s power?_

Something _was_ going on. And Seto wasn’t telling him. Yugi felt a flash of fear in his mind, and not for himself. _The boys…we dragged them into this._

There was a light coming from the Necklace, turning almost blinding. He was hesitant to trust it’s power, it had been wrong before. But… _Please. Tell me they’ll be okay, no matter what happens next._

The light flashed white, before going dark.

 

* * *

 

It was just like the last vision, the one he had with Atem’s voice. Yugi was on Academy Island again. _Are you showing me the same thing?_ He questioned the Necklace.

The scenery was different. There was a large lake instead of seemingly endless forest. He could see the dorms from his position a few feet from the tree line. _Why show me this?_

“There you two are!”

Yugi looked to his side. Jaden, the girl from last time, and a boy dressed in black were walking over. He recognized them from last time. _He looks like Amanda…is this her youngest son?_ He wondered. She would love to hear that their kids end up being friends.

He looked to his other side. Zane sat by the lake, in the Obelisk Blue outfit once again. “Jaden, quite down.” He ordered in a soft voice. “Sy’s asleep.”

Syrus was laying down next to Zane, his head resting on his brother’s lap. His glasses were off, and his red jacket draped over him like a blanket.

“Finally?” The girl asked. “He’s been up since your duel with Camula.”

“It’s just magical exhaustion. He slept last night.” Zane was petting Syrus’ hair, keeping him asleep as the other three joined him on the ground near the lake.

The boy in black scoffed. “How’d he do that? He hasn’t used any magic.”

“He used it to keep you and the others safe, Chazz.” Jaden pointed out, sitting in front of Zane.

 _Chazz. So that is Amanda’s son._ Yugi remembered her mentioning the name before. He was right then, they were friends. Sort of.

“And to keep Camula from getting Zane’s soul in that duel.” The girl added.

“Sy’s magic likes to burst.” Jaden said, looking at Syrus. “He needs to use it more so it doesn’t build up so much.”

“He’s still adjusting to being at Duel Academy. It’s no wonder his magic is acting up. Especially with…” Zane trailed off.

“Yeah.” Jaden sighed, reaching to move Syrus’ bangs from his face. Syrus whimpered, curling up on his side and moving closer to Zane. “Your dads are gonna be _pissed_ when they find this out.”

“Dad _is_ pissed. I can feel it. But there isn’t much he can do. We just have to keep an eye on everyone ourselves.” Zane decided.

 _What am I going to be pissed about?_ Yugi wondered.

“Alexis, how’s Atticus doing?”

“The same.” Alexis answered. “He won’t talk about what happened, or anything else really.”

“He’ll be alright.” Jaden smiled. “The Shadow Realm’s no joke, but weaker people have recovered from worse.”

The vision began to waver at that point. Yugi frowned. _Is this proof that the boys will be alright?_ The Necklace seemed to warm around his neck. _Alright…I’ll believe you, for now._

* * *

 

The blinding light finally died down, leaving Yugi to find himself still standing in front of the cube. He hissed, bringing a hand to his shoulder when a burning pain started there.

“You okay Yugi?” Mokuba asked, closing the holder before following Seto and Joey over to him.

“Ah, yeah. I’m good.” The pain ebbed as Yugi turned to look at them. “Well, it worked.” He told them about what he saw.

“They really become students then?” Joey grinned. “You sure you can’t tell me what their dorms are?”

Yugi chuckled. “No Joey. I think I’ll let you learn that on your own later.”

He started guessing, giving reasons for each guess. Yugi didn’t answer him, only hissing again when Seto poked his shoulder.

“Come on, we should get that looked at.” Seto said, turning to walk towards the door.

Yugi watched him for a moment before following with Joey and Mokuba. _He’s in work mode._ Yugi realized. The softer side of Seto was reserved for home time. When he was at work, no matter who he was with, Seto became more brisk, with the same side of cynical they were used to seeing in him. Seeing his cousin like that was almost amusing when Yugi thought about it. The mood would automatically change in him the second Jaden showed up.

 _Calling him cousin is the simplest way to explain this family._ Easier to let the public think they were cousins by blood rather than an odd marriage or magic or the fact that Yugi was technically half of Set’s cousin’s soul and Seto was Set’s reincarnation. Just calling them cousins was simpler.

Seto led them to the room right across from where Noah was babysitting Zane, Jaden, and Syrus. The part of the building they were in was a daycare, for those who couldn’t find babysitters before work, and a medical ward for minor injuries. Yugi looked into the room, smiling at the boys.

Mahaad had joined them, and his Dark Magician seemed to be in a mock duel with Zane. From the looks of things, Mahaad was winning. But Zane was doing his best to give him a good duel. Syrus and Jaden were cheering them on, Noah laying behind them. The dragon hissed something that made the magician grimace.

“Come on.” Seto nudged Yugi into the room opposite of the one the boys were in. “Shirt off, I can’t believe you haven’t gotten it checked before now.”

“It slipped my mind.” Yugi took off his gray jacket, unbuttoning the white shirt underneath it. He took that off too, turning around to let Seto look at his shoulder.

On the back of his shoulder and near his chest were a set of bite marks. Dark, swirling patterns twisted around the scars and trailed away from them. The patterns, if read right, formed words in a language none of them could read. Seto had tried translating it, only for Gandora to laugh at his efforts.

_The large dragon licked the blood from his teeth, a grumbling laugh escaping him. :Protection. That’s the only word you need to know.:_

Yugi knew what every word on his body meant. _Protection, link, bond, queen, safety, and partner._ Yugi traced over the last word.

The bite was the mark of a bond between him and Gandora, between him and all his dragons, including Slifer. It was old magic, older than Shadow Magic, older than the Atlantean magic Dartz used. The bond was strongest with Gandora, who had been the one to bite him. It happened not long after the duel with Diva, Yugi’s first time summoning Gandora outside of a duel.

Gandora had bit him then. It caught everyone off guard, no one expecting his own monster to attack him. But he had controlled his size, shrinking down and standing in front of Yugi calmly before biting down.

It hurt. It had burned so badly at first. But with four years gone, the mark only heated up when needed, or when one of his dragons was trying to get his attention. It strengthened his bond with his dragons, making it easier to summon them. And time only strengthened the bond.

They still did not know everything about it. Gandora told him what the words meant, but not what the bond as a whole meant. Yugi guessed it was similar to the bond he had with Atem, without the whole body sharing thing.

“Has it changed at all?” Seto asked, operating a scanner from the control panel in the room.

“No.” Yugi told him. “It’s the same as it’s always been. It heats up a lot more now though. I think it’s reacting to the Necklace.” He stood still, letting the machine that was attached to the ceiling come down to scan his shoulder. Yugi already knew what the scans would show.

Nothing. Just like the last four times Seto had scanned it. As good as his tech was, nothing could pick up on ancient magic. It was simpler to just go along with Seto’s curiosity.

“Thermal readings are a bit high around it.” Seto muttered. “It’s not dangerous however. Why would it react like that to the necklace?”

“Maybe it can sense the Items’ magic?” Joey joked. “Yug’ you’re like a walkin’ metal detector?”

Yugi laughed. “I don’t think so Joey. I think someone just got nosey and tried to get me to tell them what’s going on.”

He put his shirt and jacket back on, ignoring the protesting voice from the machine that was scanning him. That was a bit unnerving still, hearing some of Seto’s tech talk. He still wasn’t used to it. “I’m fine. I can still work, I can still walk, and I can still take care of my kids.”

“So am I needed for anything else or are we going to save your brother from the terror triplets?”

 

* * *

 

Noah didn’t need saving, Yugi found out as they walked into the room. All three of the children were fast asleep.

Zane could sleep practically anywhere. And laying on his stomach, head pillowed on his crossed arms, in the middle of the floor was no surprise to Yugi. Often, he wondered if Zane had narcolepsy, with how quickly he could fall asleep and the odd places he could sleep. Yamato reassured him that it was normal for some kids.

Syrus was a different story. When he was still three, Yugi found himself rocking his youngest to sleep most of the time. Syrus could sleep in his arms, in a bed, on a couch, and nowhere else. Except for a large nest of blankets, the boys loved making blanket forts and Syrus always fell asleep in them when they made them. If nothing else was available? Zane made a good pillow.

Jaden seemed to agree. He was curled up against Zane’s side, his head resting next to Syrus’. The three of them got along so well, Jaden fitting right in with Zane and Syrus. There were bumps, of course.

Zane hadn’t been too happy about someone else having Syrus’ attention. It led to a few arguments before Seto finally sat Zane down and talked to him about it. Seto had gone through something similar when he saw Mokuba befriending Yugi and the others, but realized that he couldn’t keep Mokuba sheltered with only his older brother as a friend.

Getting to the point where Zane would actually listen was the hard part. He was stubborn, protective, and the sudden change of who was in their lives had finally registered with him. Syrus’ fit over not being able to cut strawberries was tame compared to the one Zane threw.

Yugi was once again stunned, until Joey reminded him how young his oldest son really was. He was still only six when it happened. And when they finally got him to talk, Yugi could understand Zane’s reluctance. He was worried that Syrus would get hurt. It didn’t matter that Jaden was just a child too, Zane didn’t want to risk him getting close only to hurt Syrus.

Seto’s talk helped calm him. And a few weeks after that, it was like the three had been best friends all their lives. It helped make the past three years better for them. Things hadn’t gone over perfectly with either family.

Jaden had a slew of troubles that followed him after Seto’s sudden adoption of him. For the first few months, he was sure that it was just a temporary thing. He was ready to be sent back to Kyoto at any moment, even with reassurance that it wouldn’t happen. Yubel’s disappearance didn’t help matters. He took that to mean that no one would stay with him long term. Yugi found no trace of their card, and Mahaad said Yubel wasn’t in the Spirit realm.

They had found the people that abandoned Jaden though. Lucky enough for them, it was the authorities that found them and not Seto’s dragons. Kisara had taken to Jaden just as she had Seto, the child even calling her “auntie Kisa” after a while. So finding his “parents” had set the eldest Blue Eyes in a rage. It amused Noah, who had already worked his own revenge on the pair.

Even as a dragon, Noah was a tech genius. And the ability to change his size opened many possibilities, including being a good size to work one of the computers in the Kaiba Corp building and ruining the two people financially and socially. Any money they had was now in a trust fund for Jaden to use beginning when he reached high school. Or Duel Academy, either one. It was let out on social media that they were doing more than a few illegal things, and soon they had no friends to turn to for bail money once the charges started piling up.

None of the things Noah let out were true. Aside from child endangerment, child abandonment, attempted murder for the times Jaden was out in extreme weather conditions, and an unpaid parking ticket, strangely enough. But everyone turned a blind eye to Noah’s antics that time.

Jaden wasn’t informed until he asked about them. And Joey asked if he wanted to see them.

_“Why? They aren’t my parents. You and dad are.”_

Yugi remembered Joey calling him, crying, because it was the first time Jaden called them his parents. Yugi laughed, he couldn’t help it, Jaden had been referring to them as that for _ages_. He just never said it around them before. He told Joey to put the date in a baby book for Jaden.

And he had. Yugi didn’t know what to think about that. A baby book for each of the boys…why not? Yugi had one, and it was a good idea to keep track of firsts and everything.

Plus, ammo for when they were older. No one could escape embarrassing baby pictures, if they had any. Yugi had quite a few of Zane and Syrus. Including Halloween costumes of the two dressed up as Cyber Dragons.

There were other things they had to go through of course. Some good, some bad, some disastrous. Gum in the hair disastrous. Jaden and Syrus did need a haircut though, so it worked out. Mokuba was in trouble for giving them gum in the first place. Then there was the magic outbursts.

Yugi had no idea how tricky magic could be with children. Until Seto pointed out that accidental summoning happened often when he- Set- and Atem were children. It was a sign of powerful magic. But control was pushed to the top of the learning list after the tenth time someone was summoned because one of the boys _sneezed_.

“I think it’s time to head home.” Yugi smiled. “If Syrus naps for much longer, he won’t sleep tonight.”

“Same with Jaden.” Seto sighed. “He likes to stay up late because _someone_ keeps forgetting Jaden has a strict sleep schedule.” He glared lightly at Joey.

Seto took to fatherhood fairly well, but Yugi knew it scared him. Seto liked control and schedules and things going right. Children were the opposite and Jaden was no exception. Murphy’s Law loved to work hand-in-hand with them. Seto took a long while to get used to that fact. Joey handled it far better, and together the two worked well to raise Jaden.

Seto had his schedules, and Joey provided the leeway with them. Seto wanted Jaden to be healthy above everything else, Joey reminded him that part of being healthy was being happy.

Jaden was happy. He seemed to like things sticking somewhat to a planned schedule, but he also like the spontaneous things too. Unlike Syrus and Zane. Syrus hated schedules, Zane needed them.

“He still gets enough sleep!” Joey protested. “It’s not like he has school to worry about, I let him nap when he’s tired most of the time like ya said to.”

All three were still homeschooled. Yugi had tried public _and_ private school for Zane…with terrible results.

It was too hard to try and explain magic and Duel Spirits to the teachers. And to get children to _not_ talk about the dragon that appeared in the classroom one day. Zane wasn’t making any friends either, and seemed miserable. So Yugi decided that both would be homeschooled until they applied to Duel Academy.

Syrus actually had a calendar that counted down the days to his fourteenth birthday. It was just another application of the teal glowing duel disk around his wrist. He had gotten it on his sixth birthday, just as Zane and Jaden had, the other boy’s glowing a deep green color.

“You’ll call if anything comes up?” Yugi looked at Seto. “I’m taking the boys home to finish homework and dinner.”

“I’ll call. Something’s bound to come up, it’s been too long.”

Yugi agreed silently with a sense of dread. _Chaos, power, and peace. I haven’t forgotten that dream. Why do these things always happen in threes?_

* * *

 

The call came just after Yugi finished reading a bedtime story to Syrus. Both boys were out for the night and Yugi slipped downstairs, nodding to his grandfather, who was in the kitchen making tea.

“Isn’t it bedtime for you too?” He joked with a grin.

Solomon laughed. “I’m not so old that I need a bedtime! I’m surprise you aren’t fast asleep. The boys are getting to be quite the handfuls.”

“I’m used to it now.” Yugi sat down at the table. “Almost three and a half years now. I think I’m getting better at parenting.”

“You’re doing just fine.”

A chime from Yugi’s wrist made him frown. “Seto?” He answered the call, the video screen appearing from his disk. “What is it?”

“You said to call if something came up.”

Solomon paused, the tea kettle in hand. “Oh dear.”

Yugi frowned. “Where and what?”

“It’s not that simple.”

Well _that_ was a bad sign if Yugi ever heard one. “Do I need to ask _when_?”

Seto shook his head. He was still in his office, Yugi noticed, and Joey was with him. “It’s not like the Items were sent to the past or future. It’s just what we discovered with the extra energy we extracted from the Cube. None of them are _here_. In Japan.” He clarified. “And if the Necklace and Puzzle piece didn’t react favorably to anyone but you…”

“I’m going to have to go and get the Items.” Yugi finished with a sigh. He was hoping that wasn’t the case. “But Seto, the boys…” He couldn’t just drop everything and leave. “Grandpa…could you watch them?” If he _had_ to go…

“I may not be ancient Yugi, but there’s no way I could keep up with those two.”

Yugi couldn’t leave then.

“However.” Solomon caught everyone’s attention. “There’s nothing stopping you from taking them _with_ you.”

“What?” Yugi immediately began to protest. It was too dangerous! He couldn’t bring them to Ra knows where, especially when some of the Items weren’t safe.

“Yugi, where will they be safer? Here? With little protection?” Solomon reasoned. “They are getting better with summoning, but that can’t always work. Aren’t they safer with you? Where you can keep an eye on them? And you’ll always know where they are then, so it’s less worry on you.”

Yugi blinked. _He…he’s right._ It would be safer for the boys to go with him. He could protect them better that way, and it did soothe his worry over being away from them. If something happened while he was gone…but if they were with him, he didn’t have to worry.

Could he really bring them along though? Every time before something happened that brought Yugi and his friends away from home, it always took a turn for the worst. They were in near constant danger. Could he really put Zane and Syrus through that?

“He’s right Yugi.” Seto spoke up. “Pack for you and the boys. Joey and I already decided that Jaden is coming with us. As is Mokuba.”

“Jaden too?” Yugi looked worried.

Joey nodded. “I know what you’re thinkin’ Yug’. But think about how much trouble we got in when we were separated instead of in a group. I know I liked facin’ everythin’ together than I did facin’ it alone. Besides,” he grinned “with two of you havin’ Shadow Magic, and powerful cards, we can keep them safe. I dare anythin’ to get past our duelin’ powers!”

Yugi laughed, smiling at Joey. His best friend had a point. “Alright. Alright, it is safer for them to come with us.”

“Good. Get packed, we leave tomorrow.” Seto said before hanging up.

Yugi looked at his grandfather. “Are you sure about this? What about the shop?”

Solomon chuckled, waving off Yugi’s concern. “If I really need help, Kaiba’s offer of borrowing some of his staff is still standing. Or I can always steal Tristan away from Devlin.”

“True.” Yugi was still worried. “If there’s an attack here-“

“Then Summoned Skull will appear.” Solomon laughed. “That one’s like a puppy. You leave the gate open and he’s running out like he’s been shot out of a cannon. And he’s more than enough to protect me.”

“Now go.” He ushered Yugi towards the stairs. “You have to pack for three now. And a quick trip to that store that’s always open. Emergency food, first aid kits, children’s medicine, don’t forget anything!”

“Am I supposed to sleep tonight too?” Yugi teased.

“Of course!”

“How about I go to the store really quick, and you make a list of what I need from here?” Yugi suggested. “So I don’t forget anything.”

“A much better plan.” Solomon agreed. “Get going then! You don’t want to be ill prepared like every other time!”

 

* * *

 

The really quick store trip took a bit longer than expected. Yugi had called Seto, seeing what was truly needed. From the sounds of things, they would be on a jet most of the time, and in cities too. Joey reminded both of them that things rarely went easy, and helped Yugi with a list of things to bring.

Non-perishable foods were easiest to get. Yugi grabbed things that were easy to pack and haul around. He grabbed a large pack of strawberry wafers as well, those would hopefully make everything easier on Zane and Syrus, giving them one of their favorite treats to help them. A few chocolate bars were added in as well.

Joey told him not to grab too much, his own bag would be designated for most of the food stuff. As well as emergency lights, matches, and other things. Seto protested, asking Joey if he planned to bring clothes on the trip as well.

That was when the blonde proved just how brilliant he really was, showing Seto and Yugi how to pack shirts in like they were as small as socks. Yugi would have to remember that when he packed at home.

Medicine was a bit trickier to buy. Yugi wanted to be prepared, overly prepared, according to Seto. He just didn’t want to be caught off guard by any injury. In the end, he bought a large first aid kit with packs of other medicine to add into it.

Once he returned home, Solomon took the bags from him to sort himself.

“You’re forgetting Yugi, I’m an archaeologist! I had to pack for digs all the time.” Solomon reminded him. “I know how to pack a first aid kit and emergency kits.”

Yugi smiled, hugging his grandfather before heading upstairs. He would pack for Zane and Syrus first. Looking into Syrus’ room, his youngest was fast asleep. Yugi felt the worry returning. _I don’t want them getting hurt._ He pushed it back. He would make sure they weren’t hurt.

He grabbed the bag he bought when they thought about trying public school. It would work well to carry everything. Yugi packed light, not wanting to give Syrus anything heavy to carry. It was mostly clothes, with enough room for Kitty in the bag as well, Yugi knew Syrus wouldn’t leave the stuffed cat behind.

He left the bag by the door, getting an outfit out and ready for tomorrow as well. Syrus stirred in his sleep, and Yugi walked over. “Go back to sleep little one.” He whispered, kissing Syrus’ forehead. “Everything’s alright.”

The door closed quietly, and Yugi went to Zane’s room, not surprised to see him half awake. Zane was easy to wake if there was too much noise, and the nap earlier had him sleeping lightly. “Dad?”

“Hey Zane. You wanna help pack?” Yugi asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Pack? For what?” Zane yawned.

“The three of us have to go somewhere with Seto, Joey, Mokuba, and Jaden.” Yugi explained. “It’s about the Millennium Items.”

Zane seemed more awake. “Did you find more?”

“I think so.”

“And we get to come with?”

Yugi nodded. “I talked to grandpa and Seto about it, you, Syrus and Jaden are safer coming with us.”

Zane helped pack his stuff, everything he thought he would need, including his deck. Yugi heard a low growl, followed by purring coming from it. _The two Chimeratech._ He realized.

Fusion monsters were a strange species. Some, like the Blue Eyes Ultimate and Cyber End, didn’t truly exist on their own. They were the ones that were created using magic and temporary fusion of two monsters that did exist. Others, like Joey’s Flame Swordsman, existed separately from the fusion monsters needed to summon it in a duel.

Chimeratech Overdragon and Chimeratech Fortress Dragon were in the category with Flame Swordsman. Fortress was a calmer dragon, wanting to protect more than fight. It was the Overdragon that proved to be the more temperamental. It had five heads outside of dueling, where the number of heads was dictated by how many monsters were used to summon it, and each one seemed to want to act independently of the main.

Zane could control it however. Proving further that he was the heir to the Cyber Legacy the cards contained. All of the Cyber monsters seemed to follow him without question.

He zipped up his bag, lifting it to make sure it wasn’t too heavy. “We shouldn’t need too much, Seto plans to keep everyone on the jet and in cities, but just in case…” Yugi said.

Zane nodded, setting his bag back down and putting his deck in the holder on his desk. “We’ll be okay dad.”

“I know.” Yugi hugged him tightly. “I’m just worrying.”

He got Zane back into bed. “Get some more sleep, we have an early morning.”

Back in his room, Yugi packed quickly. He didn’t think over what he packed, just going through the motions of it. The last time he had packed for something like that, he had Atem’s help and reasoning. _Other Me. You said to find the Items. What’s waiting for us once we do?_

Atem’s warnings, Yugi’s dream of chaos, power, and peace, the Sacred Beasts, _and that Cyberdark Dragon…_ There was so much going on.

Yugi stopped packing, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He closed his eyes. No matter what happened, he wasn’t alone. He was never alone in facing danger, no matter how terrifying that thought was on it’s own. Joey would be with him, as always. His loyal best friend, always ready to jump headfirst into danger. Seto was roped into it as well, his destiny as entwined in everything as Yugi’s own. Mokuba was a force to be reckoned with as well. And the boys…

They were strong, Yugi had to admit. If it got bad, they could duel, they could fight. But Yugi would do everything to make sure they didn’t have to.

He closed his bag with a sigh. Tomorrow would just be another adventure. Except this time, the stakes were even higher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUSIONS: I’m not counting all of them as separate monsters/spirits. Mostly, the way I’m doing this, is taking Season 1, and GX, and using those as guides. Some fusions (FLAME SWORDSMAN) could be summoned without fusion, while others (Gaia the Dragon Champion, Thousand Eyes Restrict, etc.) could only be summoned with fusion. Those that didn’t need fusion, are their own monster/spirit. Those that do, were monsters “created”, meaning they require magical interference to temporary merge two monsters/spirits. (Think the fusion digivolution in Adventures 02) GX required fusion for all fusion monsters, but ones like Flame Wingman appeared as spirits, so they count as their own.
> 
> I hate packing, but I learned how to pack a lot into a little space while being homeless last year. I don’t have much of value to my name, but I at least had some clothes to get me by, and books and blankets and a few stuffed animals. Joey’s little trick is called “fold til it can’t anymore” along with that trick of putting entire outfits in a pair of socks.
> 
> Messing with history is a warning because of Yugi calling Slifer ‘Osiris’. In the original Japanese anime, Slifer is called Osiris. But we’re following the dub here. Slifer really is Osiris, just took the name Slifer when he became a big-ass dragon because he could. 
> 
> That messing with history warning is gonna stick around for the remainder of this fic. Because, hello, there’s two entwined dimensions. They probably had quite a few portals over the years, even after Atem sealed the Shadow Magic. Because as GX shows, Shadow Magic isn’t the only magic out there. 
> 
> We also get a first look at what I’m changing in GX canon! Shadow Riders always seemed a bit…well Jaden hogged the spotlight really. I know he’s the main character but Zane beating Camula would’ve been cool. It was a dick move that she used Syrus against him. (spoiler: she still does, but this time around, Zane and Syrus have a few tricks up their sleeves.)  
> By the way, I’m dead. I’ve died. Season 4 killed me. Gonna be extra nice to Syrus (for now).
> 
> Sorry if this chapter seems a bit awkward. It’s a transition chapter. The next one will flow far better. HOLD IT. Ok I typed this up and wow it just seems so awkward compared to other chapters. But transition chapters are always my weakness (including the first chapter…) I promise you, we’re moving into the meat of the second main plot it’s going to get good. And there will still be the adorableness of these kids.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> World Tour Part 1 (Yugi Did Not Sign Up for This)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE GO Into the meat of the second arc. There is a third arc too.
> 
> And for being amazing, I’ll tell you the names of the arcs. Adoption, Resurrection, Resolution. So 99% of you know what’s gonna happen in this arc! So buckle up, because it’s going to be one hell of a ride!
> 
> Be prepared for some major feels as well. This arc contains character death. Both dead dead and temporary. All three boys are going to have their pasts brought up, as will their parents, both biological and adopted. (Zane and Syrus also get their time to shine with being the focus of different parts! Jaden will have his turn as well, don’t you worry)(Let me say that writing things in Third POV for a six year old is both odd and enjoyable.)
> 
> And just to clarify, we’re gonna be making places up as we go. I could use real places, but this is fanfiction. About magic. Let’s get creative! And by creative I mean steal places from other series such as Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, one place from Glee.
> 
> I hope you like the first place they go because I thought about it for a while and decided what better way to start off their world tour? (And yay me! I looked up time zones!)
> 
> I know no one’s asked about it, but there is another reason I chose Dub names over Sub. And that is Ryou. If I was using Sub names, there would be two Ryou. Ryou Bakura, and Zane, because I’ve seen both names spelled Ryou and Ryo. So not only do I prefer Dub names over Sub, it also avoids character confusion.
> 
> Warnings: Scolding? Middles names are used because the boys are little shits. BLOOD AND MILD GORE (I’m sorry I did not plan that for this chapter but yeah) And…implied racism? Or just people not liking children? I left it vague.

Yugi was grateful the jet Seto was putting everyone on had actual beds. Because five in the morning came far too early for anyone. Syrus wasn’t even fully awake as Yugi explained they were going on a trip. He just whined, pleading for Yugi to carry him. Thankfully, Roland arrived to pick them up and take them to the airport, so he had assistance with his bags while he carried the six-year-old.

Zane was more alert. Too alert really. Yugi wondered if he had even slept after waking up to help pack.

“Zane Marcus!” Yugi said sharply. “Leave Kitty alone.” He said, rocking Syrus gently as they headed towards the airport.

Zane pulled his hands back quickly from Syrus’ bag. He could be nosey at times. “Why bring Kitty though?”

“So Syrus will sleep.” Yugi sighed. “Please tell me Grandpa didn’t give you coffee.”

A year prior, _someone_ got the bright idea to help Zane stay awake during a morning storm by giving the _seven-year-old_ a cup of _coffee_. It was pretty much like giving Syrus too much sugar. Zane was awake, but Yugi swore he had never said his full name so many times in the year and a half before that. He threw out all the coffee, ignoring his grandfather’s pouting, and the house had only tea and soda for caffeine after that.

Which was fine with him. Yugi preferred tea, and Syrus seemed to take an interest in the different ways to prepare it.

The crash after the coffee wore off was amusing, Yugi could admit that. Zane took a long nap on the couch until dinner, where he whined about being awake. It took weeks to get his sleep schedule back on track.

At the airport, Zane seemed content to deal with his own bag instead of Syrus’. The three walked over to Seto, Yugi yawning as he balanced his bags and Syrus bag. “This couldn’t wait until ten?” He asked.

“The sooner we go, the better.” Seto said. “Jaden’s already asleep on the jet.”

“Please tell me there is absolutely nothing wrong with this one. Because if there’s engine failure I’m letting you go down with the plane.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong. We triple checked everything. And by ‘we’, I mean seven different flight crews and mechanics.” Seto took the first aid bag and Syrus’ bag from Yugi. “Come on.”

Yugi woke up Syrus just enough for him to see the jet. It was their first time flying, their first time being near anything larger than a delivery truck. The jet was one of the smaller ones owned by Kaiba Corp, but would fit them comfortably.

“Mokuba’s staying behind.” Seto said as they walked onto the plane. “He said one of us needs to, in case of an emergency. And he’ll inform the others on what’s going on.”

“Right.”

Zane was cautious about getting on the jet, eyeing it warily. He stayed close to Yugi’s side as they looked around.

The seats were spread out, only totaling twenty or so. They could recline back all the way as well, turning into beds. One was like that, a small ball of blankets curled up on it. In the blankets was Jaden. Joey was napping the seat nearest him.

“There’s other rooms, but this is the main one we’ll be in.” Seto said, putting up the bags and taking Zane and Yugi’s to put up as well. “We’ll take off in ten minutes.”

Yugi nodded, sitting down in one of the seats with Syrus on his lap. Zane sat in the seat next to him, looking out the window. “We’re flying?” He asked.

“Yes.” Yugi smiled. “Here Zane, take off is going to feel weird, this should help.” He pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket. It was something he always did on planes. “I know you haven’t been on a plane for a few years…”

“I don’t remember it.” Zane said, taking a piece of gum.

That was for the best, Yugi thought. The plane ride would have been around the time he and Syrus were separated from their mother. It would be a new experience, one not tainted fully by their past. He could make sure it was better for them.

Except when the plane was taking off, Yugi should have expected one of them to have a bad reaction.

Syrus woke up, staring out the window and bouncing on the seat as he watched the ground grow further and further away. Zane, on the other hand, clung to Yugi, eyes wide with terror. Yugi covered his ears muffling the sounds of the engine and pulling Zane close. He could recognize panic attacks easily with his oldest, and knew how to pull him through one.

“It’s alright.” Yugi murmured. “It’s okay, you’re safe. I’m not going to let anything bad happen.”

He was thankful Seto was in another part of the plane. The CEO always seemed a bit tense during take-off, unless he was the one flying. Zane would have picked up on that. Once they were in the air, Seto came back in, looking as calm and determined as ever.

“Careful Syrus.” Seto picked him up, getting him away from the window. “You should sit down during take-off.”

“Sorry Seto.” Joey said apologetically. “I would’ve got ‘im, but wanted to make sure the squirt here stayed asleep. And Yugi got Zane.” He was running his hand through Jaden’s hair, making sure his son stayed asleep.

“It’s alright. That was a smooth take-off compared to most.” Seto smirked. “I’ve been working on creating new engines like the one in the Blue Eyes jet. To make take-off easier.” He kept Syrus on one hip, rubbing Zane’s back with his free hand. “You’re doing well for your first real flight.”

Yugi smiled softly, kissing the top of Zane’s head. “It gets easier.” He told his son. “We have to take a few plane rides for this trip.”

Zane didn’t reply, just moved as close as possible to Yugi.

“Bring him with.” Seto set Syrus down in the seat near Joey. “I need to talk to you about some things Yugi.”

Yugi nodded, standing up with Zane in his arms. _You’re going to be too big for me to carry soon._ He realized. Zane had been through a few small growth spurts over the years. He was still shorter than his dad, but Yugi knew he wouldn’t be short for much longer.

Following Seto to another room, Yugi saw a fairly large table in the middle, chairs bolted to the floor surrounding it. The table was one huge screen, a map of the world showing on it. Yugi sat down in one of the chairs, Zane sitting in his lap still. “What is it Seto?”

“First, you’ll need these.” Seto pulled out a drawer under the screen, handing Yugi two folders. “Passports for the boys.” He explained when Yugi opened one. “We’ll be going through the legal channels for the most part. Europe is going to be a pain.”

Tapping a few commands, bright red dots appeared on the map on the screen. “The extra energy from the Cube made all of these appear. Pegasus investigated one, and found traces of Shadow Magic at the spot.”

“So the Cube’s energy turned everything into beacons?” Yugi asked.

“Not exactly.” More tapping, and there were fewer dots. “I’ve stopped the real time updating for now. Look at these dots.”

They were more scattered, but Yugi recognized where some of them were. “It’s tracking people with Shadow Magic.” He realized.

Seto nodded. “You were right about Amanda, by the way.” He pointed to one of the dots. “Her youngest son must have Magic too, because that’s the general area where she lives.”

“There’s more than we thought.” Yugi realized. He thought there would be no more than fifteen, but there were at least forty dots, scattered about the world. “Can it track other magic?”

“I think so.” Seto pointed to another dot. “That’s where Mai and Valon are.”

“Atlantean magic.” Yugi said. “It doesn’t seem to act like Shadow Magic or the older magic. I only guessed at it still existing with Raphael.”

“I have Mai documenting everything about Magic. She can add that to the documents.”

Zane looked up at Yugi. “There’s more magic than ours?”

Yugi nodded. “There’s Shadow Magic, which we use mostly for summoning, shadow travel, and creating spells. Then there’s older Magic, like the magic the Gods and Gandora use. I’m guessing Atlantean magic may work in a completely different way.”

“Dartz used it.” Seto didn’t look too pleased to be saying that name. “To change his appearance, and create warp points, and steal souls.”

“We can worry over that later.” Yugi decided. “Where are we starting with this?”

Seto changed the map to reveal the other dots. “These are the unexplained ones. How many pieces are there to the Puzzle?”

“Forty-two. We have one already.”

“There’s more than forty-two dots.” Zane pointed out.

“That’s why we’re letting others check most of them. We’re going to the ones most promising.” The dots slowly disappeared, until only fifty remained. “These are around historical landmarks, and places where magic is strongest. We have to continue looking for the other Items as well.”

“And the Sacred Beasts.” Yugi murmured. “Where to first?”

“Cairo. To meet with Ishizu.” Seto said. “It’s a twelve hour flight, and it’ll be ten in the morning there, so we should try to get the boys to sleep on the way.”

“It’ll be ten? But it’s only six. Ten is four hours away.” Zane said confusedly.

Yugi smiled softly. “Remember what we talked about last month? With time zones?” Zane nodded. “Egypt is in a different time zone. Right now, it’s eleven at night there.” He explained.

“Oh, okay.” Zane nodded again.

“Don’t worry, I still get confused with time zones.” Yugi admitted. “I never went out of the country enough for it to matter if I knew them or not.” He knew enough to not call one of his best friends at two in the morning in their time though.

Walking back to the main part of the jet, they found Jaden wide awake, crowding around one of the windows with Syrus.

“Bubbleman would love all that water!” Jaden grinned.

“I don’t think Cyber would.” Syrus tilted his head. “I don’t think he can swim.”

“And those three can’t fly. Maybe he’d like the plane more, because he’s a machine-type.”

“Submarineroid would like it!”

“Please no mid-flight summoning into the ocean.” Joey begged.

It was good to see the younger two had no problem flying. Zane still stuck close to Yugi’s side as they made it back to the seats. Hopefully he would find it fun too.

 

* * *

 

Getting Syrus and Jaden back to sleep was not fun for anyone involved. Yugi wished Seto would have told him the plan to go to Cairo last night, so he could have kept Syrus up and just let him sleep on the plane. The six and seven year-olds did not want to sleep. They wanted to stay up as the plane began flying over land. Not even Zane could convince them to at least take a nap.

“You’re going to be too tired when we get there and do nothing but sleep.” Zane was at least laying down. “And you’re going to miss seeing Aunt Ishizu and Uncle Malik and Uncle Odion. Because you’re going to be asleep.”

“Maybe they’ll sleep if they eat?” Breakfast had been a few hours ago and only served to wake the boys up more. “And let them run off the extra energy?” Yugi shrugged. Usually Syrus was good about naps. He guessed the excitement of the trip and being with his favorite- only- cousin was keeping him awake. Not even Kitty could get Syrus to settle down.

Zane groaned at the mention of food, gaining sympathetic looks from Yugi and Joey. None of the boys ever got car sick, and they hadn’t been able to check for seasickness, poor Zane seemed to get air sick though. Seto had finally tracked down the right medicine for him a few minutes ago, it was just a waiting game to see when it would start helping. Yugi was sitting on the edge of the seat that was reclined back into a bed for Zane, rubbing his back slowly like he did whenever one of his sons was sick.

“Something light would be best.” Nothing with too heavy of a scent, they didn’t need Zane getting sicker.

“I’ll see what’s available.” Seto stood, taking the tablet he had been checking with him.

Joey turned to Yugi. “He showed ya the map right?”

Yugi nodded. “And said we’re starting in Cairo, I guess we’ll split everything up while we’re there.”

He was a bit nervous to be returning to Egypt. Yugi hadn’t been back there since the Ceremonial Duel. Not even to check what Atem had left in that dammed will. He didn’t know what to do with it, the pictures Malik sent him were overwhelming. He let Ishizu handle everything, she would know better than he did on what to keep, what to donate to both the Cairo and Domino museums, and what could be ‘traded off for actual money’, in Atem’s words.

Yugi was too nervous to do that even with the multitude of golden coins in the hidden vault. Ishizu always sent things that could be pawned at gold shops straight to him to avoid exchange rates. But for months, the first things she sent just sat there. Until Seto took him to get it exchanged at the only place the CEO trusted to give Yugi a fair rate. After that, Yugi only went there three more times.

Most of the money was in savings, paying for the renovations and to get the shop started with a few new games that had been just out of their budget at the time. Yugi had no need for all the money, using barely a fraction of it over the past four years. Atem did have a point in what he wrote in the will however. It was nice to know there was something to use for medical bills or other emergencies. Yugi also set up a few accounts for Zane and Syrus with it. There were two school accounts, one for each of them, with tuition money and some for the boys to spend there as well. Then a trust fund for when they turned eighteen, to help them get a good start with whatever they needed.

 _It's going to feel weird, going back to Egypt. I wonder how Seto’s taking it._ Yugi had fragmented memories of Atem’s time as Pharaoh, mostly just what had leaked out over their bond and what the Memory World had shown. Some were what their connected soul remembered. But Seto had all of Set’s memories. _That’s part of the reason why he wanted Atem to come back so badly._

He knew Atem and Set’s relationship was complicated. They were cousins, raised almost like brothers at times. Set had a destructive streak that could rival Akefia’s at times. And though Set was in the Afterlife with Atem now, Seto still had his memories and some of his tendencies. There was no closure for Seto when Atem left. Yugi guessed his position as pharaoh helped that, giving Seto someone in the way Set had Atem. And Joey was with them too. Yugi didn’t know how Set’s life was after Atem was sealed in the Puzzle. Did he find love at least? After Kisara, he didn’t know. At least Seto did.

“Guess this put a damper on the wedding plans, huh?” Yugi smiled apologetically.

“Nah Yug’, don’t worry about it.” Joey grinned. “If what we think is gonna happen, happens, then I’ll gladly push back the date as much as needed. Besides,” the grin fell, “we got bigger problems. Did he show you the dot that never stays in one spot?”

Yugi shook his head. “No, what dot?”

“There’s one of those red dots that keeps movin’ and disappearin’.” Joey explained, catching Syrus and Jaden as they tried to run past. “Kiddos, it’s almost nap time.”

“But dad, I’m not tired!” Jaden protested. “I not taking a nap!”

“Jaden Alexander what have I said about that tone?” Joey asked. “If you want the energy to chase Malik around Cairo, you gotta take a nap.”

“Come here, little Hunter.” Yugi smiled, holding out his arms for Syrus. The middle name was more of a nickname used on it’s own. Syrus giggled, struggling away from Joey and running over to Yugi. “Your brother doesn’t feel well, think you and Jaden can play quietly for a little?”

“Okay!” Syrus chirped, giving Zane a quick hug before going over to a few seats that were away from his brother and father. “Jaden! Duel!”

Joey let Jaden go, chuckling. “Boundless energy, those two.” He smiled fondly. “At least they listen.”

“Syrus always listens when it comes to Zane.” It was nice to see that they were still close. He hoped it stayed that way for them. “If one doesn’t feel well, the other does what they can to help.”

Seto returned soon after with lunch. He avoided everyone’s favorite foods. “Your tastes can change while flying. Rather not have Jaden crying because he can’t eat shrimp anymore.”

“Or Syrus crying over strawberries.” Three years and Syrus still loved strawberries with practically everything. Yugi could still bribe him into doing light chores with them. Zane didn’t really have a favorite food, just some foods he liked more than others. There was no food he asked Yugi to buy regularly.

He took the pack of salted crackers Seto had brought in, getting Zane to eat a few as the medicine finally worked on calming his stomach. Jaden and Syrus had chicken strips with fries. Yugi ate his fruit salad of mangos, bananas, pomegranate, and dates slowly, letting Zane have a few pieces when it was clear the crackers agreed with him.

“That’s an odd combination.” Joey teased, eating his own veggie burger. He found out on one trip that hamburger a mile above land did _not_ taste good. And he did promise to start eating healthy soon after adopting Jaden. With the resources to do so, it was easy for him.

“Some of Atem’s favorites stuck with me.” Yugi admitted.

After lunch, Jaden and Syrus seemed much quieter. Yugi shared a smile with Joey as Syrus yawned. “I think it’s naptime.” Joey grinned.

“Everyone should get some rest.” Seto said.

Yugi made sure Zane was alright before getting Syrus settled too, wrapping him up in a warm blanket with Kitty. “We’ll wake you up when we get there.” He promised.

Once everyone was settled, the lights dimmed and the window covers blocked out the light from outside. A few of the lights on the plane still shone dimly, providing enough light for Syrus and Jaden to not be kept in total darkness. Neither could sleep like that, though Zane and their parents had no problem with it. Yugi preferred sleeping in a dark room, the lack of light comforting.

He hid under his own blanket, curled up on his side, waiting for his sons’ magic to settle in sleep before falling asleep himself. It had been a long night of packing and worry, Yugi was grateful for the chance to finally sleep for longer than thirty minutes.

 

* * *

 

Landing was much smoother than taking off. Zane was still groggy from the nap, not really noticing when they finally landed. Syrus and Jaden watched the whole thing from the windows, talking excited as ground came closer at a steady rate. Seto watched as well, reassuring them that the plane was landing safely.

Joey stretched, he was easily the one who had the least trouble with jet lag and time zone differences. Seto took a few minutes to become adjusted, and Yugi didn’t want to think on how long it took himself to adjust normally. Or how it would affect the boys.

Once they were given the okay to leave the jet, Yugi made sure Zane was awake enough to walk. With everyone ready, they headed out and to the limo that was waiting.

“Boy, Ishizu isn’t sparing anything is she?” Joey asked.

“Like she would let the Pharaoh travel in a normal taxi.” Seto countered.

 _Right…_ Another reason Yugi avoided Egypt. Politically, his title held no power. At least, it _shouldn’t_. Didn’t stop some people from trying to get him to back this thing or that thing, but given that he lived in _Japan_ and spent only a total of about two months in Egypt with every trip he made combined, he didn’t want to have political say in anything, and he was sure the people didn’t want him having a say either.

There were some who recognized the wealth and status though. Some of parliament liked him, though Yugi was sure they liked him _because_ he didn’t want to get involved. There had been many questions about Atem’s will in parliament, but even as old as it appeared, it was still a legal document. And they voted to let it stand.

His title really held sway in the dueling parts of Egypt. Coupled with his King of Games title, Yugi was a celebrity there. It was easy to hand off any decisions they wanted him to make to Malik, who actually lived there to see them through. There were others who were not connected to dueling or politics that saw his title as valid, merchants mostly, the occasional Egyptologist, the only ‘abuse’ of his title that Yugi ever really did was getting history books rewritten with Atem in them. The magic was watered down in books, Yugi hesitant to let the full extent be known just yet. But no longer was Atem the Nameless Pharaoh.

“Does this mean we get breakfast for dinner?” Jaden asked with a grin.

“No way kiddo.” Joey laughed. “You ate on the plane! Next is lunch.”

“Lunch for dinner!”

Yugi chuckled, and Seto couldn’t hide an amused smile. “Leave it to Jaden to think with his stomach in a new place.”

“Just wait until they see the desert.” Seto said.

They wouldn’t stay in the desert at all, Yugi hoped. It wasn’t a place for children, especially when they would have to go far enough out from the city to summon any of their monsters to help, and that would take a while. The weather wasn’t supposed to be too bad in Egyptian standards, but the children still weren’t used to it.

Yugi made sure Zane and Syrus wore lighter clothes. And sunscreen. He didn’t want them to get burned. Three summers in a row they went without one, they didn’t need to get a sunburn in Egypt. Joey had done the same with Jaden. Finding out his biological father was from the States, Joey knew sunburn would be bad on his skin.

“If I burn bad, I don’t doubt Jay can too.” Joey said.

All three looked out the windows of the limo at the buildings of Cairo. It was different from what they were used to. Domino was a tiny city compared to it, with most buildings being of modern times. Cairo had plenty of those, but also contained some older buildings as well.

What made Yugi smile was the thrumming magic in the city. The remains of Memphis were nearby, as were the pyramids on the Giza Plateau. Magic from both places, combined with the magic that came naturally from Cairo, created a gentle air of welcoming.

It recognized them, Yugi realized. His magic had been amplified into its own existence by Atem’s, and Seto had all of Set’s magic. The Shadow Magic held in Egypt recognized them, and Yugi guided the wandering strands towards the boys. _Our sons. They have magic too._

Syrus looked shocked, noticing the new strands first. He grinned. “The city has magic!”

“It’s like our’s papa!” Jaden grinned at Seto.

“Egypt is where our magic comes from.” Seto explained. “I believe Ishizu is taking us to where it was sealed.”

Yugi blinked in shock. He had known Seto had dug up the place he and Atem held the Ceremonial Duel, he just hadn’t expected to be going back.

The limo stopped at the museum, Malik was there to greet them. “There’s my favorite nephews!”

“Uncle Malik!” Jaden laughed as Malik hugged them tightly as soon as they were out of the limo. “We’re your only nephews!”

The smile on Malik’s face was tense, but thankfully the boys didn’t pick up on that. Yugi shared a look with Seto. _That can’t be good._ “Malik, how’s Ryou?”

The British duelist had to stop searching for the Items after tripping and fracturing a bone in his leg in some part of South America. It seemed like just a stroke of bad luck, everyone knew better than that.

“No better, no worse.” Malik replied. “He was right.”

Seto drew in a sharp breath, and Yugi closed his eyes as Joey cursed under his breath.

Ryou was right. They knew what that meant. He found the Ring. “Where?” Yugi demanded.

“He’s at my place. With Manny and Odion. And some of the Cubic monsters.” Malik grimaced. He wasn’t a fan of those terrors, but they had been doing their job right so far.

“Then Diva?”

“Is right here.”

Yugi turned around, seeing Diva leaning against the limo with a soft smirk. “Don’t worry, little pharaoh. I’m keeping my distance from that _thing_. If I want a ring, I’ll buy one from a jeweler.”

“Ishizu decided since Diva and the former Plana have experience with magic, they can help if they wish to.” Malik explained. “Most of their magic may be gone, however…”

“I still have some of the magic.” Diva said. “Minor summoning, short-distance shadow travel- as Malik calls it- I can’t get into different dimensions. And I’ve been behaving.” He grinned.

“Yes, he’s earned a gold star on his sticker chart.” Malik rolled his eyes. “He fits right in with the rest of the sarcastic group.”

Jaden and Syrus looked like little owls as they looked wide-eyed up at Diva, Zane a bit more mistrusting of him. He kept a tight hold on his brother and Jaden’s hands.

He knew Diva would be around, Yugi hadn’t expected to see him so soon, or at all, or that he would be coming with them. The other duelist had changed after being possessed by the Ring, Yugi liked to hope that change was for the better. Sara’s emails over the years seemed to confirm that, Diva wasn’t causing trouble or getting into it. Unless it was some harmless thing that Malik roped him into. Sara herself was an intern for Ishizu while she finished high school, and Manny and Odion had bonded over the exasperation that was their brothers.

Things were still tense though. Seto obviously didn’t trust Diva, if the way he moved closer to the kids was any indication. Joey was looking at him warily as well. Malik’s magic drifted over Yugi and Seto, a calming wave that said Diva wasn’t a threat.

“I’m not allowed near the Ring, but you Yugi…he’s been asking for you.” Diva said. “I’m here as more protection for you sons, and Seto’s too. Ishizu figured I could be useful as a guide, if everyone wanted to look around while you handled Ryou.”

“More like she wanted the kids to babysit you.” Malik grinned. “Zane and Syrus are far more well-behaved than you.”

“It is neither, actually.”

Ishizu came walking out of the museum to join the group, Sara behind her. “I asked Diva to assist in showing the children the museum. I am sure Zane and Syrus will not want to wander around Cairo without Yugi.”

She turned to look at Yugi. “Diva is right. He asked for you, my pharaoh.”

There was something in her eyes that worried Yugi. They weren’t telling him the full story. “Why me? What’s going on?” He asked.

“That is best explained by him.” Ishizu said. “I will accompany you. Malik, Diva, and Sara will stay with everyone else.”

 _That’s a lot of security for them._ If Diva and Sara still had some of the magic of the Plana, that would make four magic users guarding the boys. And Joey was no stranger to hand-to-hand combat, he had them covered with physical attacks. _The Ring’s causing more trouble than we thought it would…or there’s another Item close by._

“We can get lunch too.” Diva said. “I’m sure after that long flight, food will be welcomed?”

“Yeah. Let them see the museum first.” Joey relaxed a bit, from the mention of food or the reassurance that Malik would stay with them, Yugi couldn’t tell. “Fill in any gaps Seto and Yugi might’ve left in history lessons.”

“Come my pharaoh. We should go now.” Ishizu walked towards a smaller car, not waiting to see if Yugi was following.

He did, after hugging his sons and telling them to behave. “Listen to Seto.” Yugi said before following Ishizu.

His disk activated, a prod of curious magic running against his own. _Stay alert Mahaad, Mana. I’m not sure what we’re walking into here. But we may have to fight._

* * *

 

Their home was just outside of Cairo, a twenty minute drive filled with tense silence between questions.

“It works.” Yugi said to fill the silence. “The Necklace. It showed me something.”

“Then the others will work as well.” Ishizu replied. “We already know the Ring does.”

“The Ring never stopped working.”

The Ishtar’s home seemed more like the homes Yugi could picture in Atem’s memories, but far larger, and with modern touches. Ishizu led him inside, stopping in a room where Odion and Manny sat. “How is he?”

“I wouldn’t go in there. Even if you paid me.” Manny admitted. He had been affected by the Ring before.

“Ryou is fairing far better than he had been before.” Odion told her. “He still asks for Yugi however.”

“Where is he?” Yugi asked.

“There.” Manny nodded to a door. Yugi could feel powerful magic twined within the wood. “Guess some of that occult stuff Ryou talks about actually works. He set that lock up himself, said you’d know how to release it.”

 _Of course._ It was a puzzle. Yugi couldn’t help but smile as he approached the door. _Oh Ryou, you’ve been playing too many games recently. Want things to be lighthearted before you get scolded for being reckless again?_

The puzzle was easy, Yugi saw the solution without needed to tap too far into his magic. And like a key in a lock, his magic inputted the solution. As the magic seeped out of the door, Yugi paused.

There was Ryou’s magic, and Malik’s, even some of the magic he felt on Diva and Manny, but there was also a fifth magic source. _It’s just the Ring. Of course it feels like darker magic._ He scolded himself. _Don’t get scared, you’ve faced it before. Everyone is safe this time too._

Yugi opened the door, closing it behind himself. He didn’t want to let the magic escape, and like he had guessed it would, Ryou’s lock reset itself the second the door was shut. Ishizu, Odion, and Manny were safe from the Ring’s dark magic. _I have to ask how he’s doing that._

“Ryou? I’m here. Like you asked.” The room was dark. _No surprise there._ Even with a few candles lit, the Ring’s magic saturated the air and kept the light to a minimum. Yugi could barely out the shape of Ryou lounging on the bed. “Is everything okay? I could ask Ishizu for a first aid kit.”

A dark chuckle was his reply. _I know that sound!_

“So caring of your friends…aren’t you, _Hikari_. Or, do you prefer _Pharaoh_ now.”

Sharp amber eyes peered at him from the darkness. Instinctively, Yugi felt his soul room locking, guarding his mind as he took a step back. _It can’t…how…_

“Bakura.”

 

* * *

 

Zane looked at Diva suspiciously, keeping Syrus close to Jaden and himself. His dad hadn’t said much about the duelist, though Yugi rarely spoke bad about anyone. His uncles weren’t as quiet about what happened a few months before they were adopted.

And Zane remembered what happened. Darkness, panic, Cyber glowing with magic to keep them from disappearing, and peace, for the few moments their father was gone. It wasn’t long after that, they were sold off.

Connecting that day to the person who caused it was strange. Diva didn’t look like the type to destroy the world, no more than Rafael or Uncle Malik or Uncle Bakura. But there was something that made Zane latch onto his Uncle Seto’s hesitance to trust him.

“I’m sure Yugi’s told you most of we’ll see.” Diva said. “But there are some interesting artifacts here, like a replica of the Pyramid of Light. Carved out of crystal with a ruby gem in the eye. There’s no magic in it, Ishizu won’t even let us touch it.”

“That’s because she thinks we’ll break it.” Malik rolled his eyes. “I haven’t broken anything in here in six years.”

“Nothing important, that is.” Sara laughed. “Remember the mop incident last week?”

Zane could trust Sara. Joey said she tried to stop Diva by giving a Puzzle piece to Yugi. She was nice to them too, answering any question Jaden and Syrus threw at her as they walked with patience and honesty. She didn’t seem much older than they were, but she was already working at the museum.

“But yes, the replica of it is here.” She added. “The real one is gone for good from what Miss Ishtar says.” It sounded like she was reassuring Seto and Joey.

“Good.” Joey huffed. “That thing caused enough trouble. Do ya got replicas of the Millennium Items too?”

Sara shook her head. “No, Miss Ishtar didn’t want them replicated. She said while the Items were a good thing in the end, how they were created wasn’t good. And she thought it would be disrespectful to make cheap replicas, to both the people whose lives were stolen to make them, and to the Pharaoh.”

“How were they made?” Zane asked. No one wanted to tell them that, maybe he could get Sara to.

“Ninety-nine souls from Akefi-“

“Sara.” Malik interrupted. “Yugi doesn’t want them knowing yet.”

Jaden pouted next to Zane. “Man…I thought we’d finally get to know!” He huffed. “Why keep it this big secret? It’s part of history right? Dad always said if you don’t learn it then some idiot basta-“

“Jaden Alexander.”

Jaden winced at Seto’s tone. “…that someone’s gonna repeat it.” He amended, smiling apologetically at his father.

“I doubt you three could repeat this part of history.” Diva chuckled. “You’re too young, and innocent.”

They weren’t the only people in the museum. It was around lunch time, and quite a few visitors were around. There were a few groups Zane guessed were from schools, an elderly couple speaking in a different language about one of the artifacts. _That’s…French?_ He thought he recognized one of the words from the few phrases Mai tried to teach them.

Another group that was closer to them looked to be businessmen. Zane automatically moved closer to Seto, tightening his grip on Syrus’ hand. They were saying something in a stranger language. _It almost sounds like the language dad and Uncle Seto talk in sometimes._ Were they speaking Arabic? Zane wasn’t sure, but they kept looking over at them and sneering before saying something that sounded less than pleasant.

Zane narrowed his eyes. Of all the times he wished he’d taken his Uncle’s offer to teach him the language…

He didn’t have to dwell on that for long. Diva said something in the same language, using a clipped tone Zane recognized. It was scolding, condescending, like the way Seto spoke to businessmen who tried to bring him a terrible deal. Zane recognized a few words when Diva spoke it, ones Malik used around them like ‘children’ and ‘idiot’. Given the way the men paled and rushed off, Zane was certain that last word was aimed at them.

Maybe Diva wasn’t too bad if he was willing to defend them like that. None of them knew the language, he could have just let it slide or let Malik handle it. But he spoke up instead.

“Now, how about we see the Pyramid, then head out to lunch?” Diva smiled at them.

Everyone readily agreed, even Zane nodded in agreement.

Malik took to leading the group, Joey and Seto walking with him. Zane followed with Syrus and Jaden, and Diva and Sara walked behind them.

“And don’t tell your parents, but I can show you three some of the Cubic monsters later if you want.” Diva whispered.

_New monsters?_

Oh yes. Diva wasn’t bad at all.

 

* * *

 

Lunch ended up being fast food, at a place they knew well. Only after they were shown one of the monsters Diva promised them.

Syrus had laughed when he saw it. It was a giant egg! With wings and an eye on it, and another eye on a long limb. He even hugged it, laughing more when it rumbled. The alarm in Uncle Joey’s eyes was funny too. How could it hurt him? Diva said it didn’t have any Attack Points, and it didn’t have a mouth or teeth or claws.

He didn’t find it fair when Diva got in trouble for summoning it. It was cool to see a different monster than the spirits they were used to seeing. Cubic monsters didn’t act like Mahaad or Cyber, or even like his Vehicroids or Jaden’s Elemental Heroes. The monster said it had a different dimension from the spirits.

Zane didn’t hear the monster talk. Jaden didn’t either. _They weren’t close enough to it._ Syrus thought as he waited at the table for Uncle Seto and Uncle Malik to get the food. He kicked his legs in front of him, careful not to kick too high. He didn’t want to hit Sara in the knee.

There was a play place at the place they went, and Syrus wanted to go play. He could tell Jaden did too, his cousin’s magic barely being contained with how excited he felt. Even Zane was eyeing the slides with interest. But Uncle Joey said they had to at least eat something first.

Syrus wasn’t hungry, but he was thirsty. It was really hot outside, hotter than it was at home. And as a treat for being good, Uncle Malik was buying them milkshakes! Syrus wanted a strawberry one. Jaden and Zane were getting chocolate.

“Calm down you two.” Uncle Joey chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Syrus and Jaden’s hair. “You look like you’re gonna run off at any second! The play place isn’t goin’ anywhere.”

“But I wanna play now!” Jaden chirped. “It’s _huge_!”

It really was. Syrus looked up, there were other kids playing on it now, and some were crawling through the tubes far above their heads. There were some net-like parts to the tube that looked fun to climb over. He would go there first. Or maybe to the ball pit.

His magic poked at Zane, wondering where his brother would go first. Zane’s magic wrapped around his, guiding it towards the slides. So his brother would go to the tubes then. Syrus would come with.

“Alright. I figured chicken nuggets would be best for these three.” Uncle Malik and Uncle Seto had returned with the food. “And fries, and milkshakes of course.” He grinned. “But! Drink them slowly. Dairy isn’t exactly the best thing on hotter days. We don’t need you guys getting sick.”

Syrus nodded. He didn’t want to get sick either. Once Uncle Malik handed him his milkshake, he took a small drink of it. It tasted differently from the ones back home. _Daddy said things tasted differently in different places._ But how could strawberry taste differently? It didn’t matter too much, it still tasted good.

So did the fries. But Syrus was getting tired of chicken nuggets. He didn’t complain and ate two of the four that were in the meal, but all of his fries were gone quickly. Zane seemed to like the chicken nuggets more than the fries though. “Zane, trade?” Syrus held out the box with two nuggets to his brother.

“For fries?” Zane asked. Syrus nodded. “Sure.” He handed over the fries, taking the nuggets from Syrus.

“See? Why can’t adults be like that?” Diva asked. “That was peaceful and easy.”

Syrus grinned. He knew adults like to argue. He and Zane just didn’t see the point in arguing most of the time. They were all each other had for a long time, according to Zane. Syrus didn’t really remember. He did remember Zane always being there, and their magic always gripping each other tightly. It still did that now, Zane’s hold on Syrus’ magic felt a bit tighter since they were in a new place. And without their dad around, Syrus was grateful for the familiar feeling.

“Alright, if you three want to, you can go play.” Uncle Joey finally said. “But don’t play too hard, you don’t want to get a stomach ache.”

“Okay!” Syrus and Jaden replied. Zane only nodded, following behind them at a slower pace.

 _He likes to act grown up._ Syrus giggled. “Zane! Come on!” He ran back to get his brother, pulling him towards the opening where the long and tall tubes started. Jaden was already inside, trying to decide if he wanted to climb higher, or go through the other tube that led to the ball pit.

In the end, Jaden chose the ball pit. Syrus could hear him, and feel his magic reacting excitedly. _Daddy said we have less control on magic because we’re young._ His magic always felt controlled. Syrus didn’t want his to be that controlled, he liked how it brushed against the walls around them, and twined around Zane’s.

 _Zane, up more?_ His magic asked the question for him.

Zane nodded, leading the way through the tubes. They stopped at a larger place that a few other kids were playing in. The others were talking in strange words that Syrus didn’t know, so he ignored them, sticking close to Zane.

“Look, you can see Uncle Seto.” Zane was next to a window, Syrus joined him. Uncle Seto was by the ball pit, helping Jaden out of it.

“Hi Uncle Seto!” Syrus waved, calling out. Their Uncle looked up, nodding to them before going back to Jaden.

“Come on, let’s get to the slides.” Zane turned away, heading through another tube. Syrus nodded, following Zane again. They were going up further, but he couldn’t see how much further. The tubes didn’t have windows.

They were coming up to the net stuff though, Syrus could see that up ahead. Zane crawled over it like it was nothing, waiting on the other side for Syrus.

Syrus started to follow, but paused. He looked down, and whimpered.

They were so high up! He backed away from the net stuff. “Z-Zane…I can’t…”

“Come on! It’s not that hard.” Zane said.

“What if I fall?”

“I crawled over it. And I’m heavier than you are.” His brother pointed out. “Besides, look.” He pressed down hard on some of the stuff. “See that? It’s not breaking. It feels like the bottom straps to our bookbags. You wanna go to the slides, right?”

“Y-Yes…”

“This is the only way there. I’ll stay right here.” Zane sat back, titling his head. “Is that better?”

Syrus whimpered again. He did want to go to the slides, and he trusted Zane. Decision made, Syrus began crawling over the net. He didn’t look down, keeping his eyes on Zane the entire time.

It did feel like the stuff on their bookbags. What was it…their dad called it nylon maybe? Or was that the stuff on some of the shoes? The net moved, making Syrus pause for a second.

“It’s okay!” Zane soothed. “It does that, you’re alright.”

Syrus rushed over the rest, not stopping until he was with Zane, crowding his brother in the small tunnel. Zane huffed, nudging Syrus encouragingly to go ahead of him. “There’s one more patch of this, I’ll get ahead of you when we reach it.”

Syrus didn’t _want_ to reach it, but with Zane behind him, he couldn’t turn back. He kept going on, until someone called out to them.

“Wait up!” Jaden was finally in the tubes too. “This is so cool!”

Syrus nodded. Now that the net was behind them, he was having fun again. It was like an adventure, like when they explored Uncle Seto’s work before. Except there was only one tunnel, not a lot of floors to get lost on.

They reached the next net part and Syrus stopped. He didn’t want to go across it!

“Move Sy, let me go first.” Zane said. Syrus pressed himself down and against the side of the tunnel, letting Zane crawl over him. “Watch. It’s easy.”

He tested the net, pressing down on it before crossing it. It dipped a bit, but didn’t break. And when Zane was on the other side, he turned around to look at Syrus again.

“Go on Sy.” Jaden encouraged. “Zane’s right over there, and I’ll stay here. So even if something bad happens, we can save you!”

Zane sighed. “Don’t tell him something bad could happen…”

The idea was already in Syrus’ mind though. Something _could_ happen. Syrus felt like crying. He didn’t want to go over it! But going back meant crawling over the other one!

“Syrus! Come on, nothing’s gonna happen.” Zane said. “Like the last one, just focus on me.”

Jaden wasn’t letting him go back, so Syrus could only crawl forward. He kept his eyes on Zane, shaking as he crossed the net. His shaking made the net shake, and Syrus stopped in the middle. “I-I can’t!” He cried.

“You can!” The net seemed to be more steady. Syrus looked back to see Jaden holding onto it. “See? Zane! Hold the other side.”

Zane put his hands on the net on his side, and the shaking wasn’t so bad. Syrus moved closer to Zane, and whimpered when Zane helped to get him the rest of the way over.

“See? It wasn’t too bad.” Zane soothed, letting his magic wrap around his little brother. Jaden joined them, crossing the net with ease.

“I’ve been up higher.” Jaden said. “Yubel helped me hide in the roof of a camping place one time. This is easy!”

Syrus just wanted to get out of the tubes. It wasn’t fun anymore.

The three crawled on, stopping when the tunnel split off into three. “These must be the slides.” Zane said. The tubes slopped downward, and they looked to twist around each other. “We can all go at the same time.”

Jaden was already at one of the entrances. “Right! Sy, take the middle one. We’ll be on the outside of you.”

Syrus nodded, getting in the middle tunnel. He liked slides, especially the big one that led into a ball pit at KaibaLand. Zane took the last slide and looked at them.

“Ready?” He asked. Syrus and Jaden nodded, and they went down the slides at the same time.

Syrus giggled, the fear being replaced with excitement as he went down the slide. The twists were fun, and he went really fast! By the time he reached the bottom, he was laughing too hard to talk.

“There you are!” Uncle Malik was waiting for him at the bottom. Syrus laughed, holding up his arms to be picked up. Uncle Malik picked him up, grinning. “Have fun?”

“Yes!” Syrus said.

“Good. Unfortunately, we gotta go. Your daddy called and said he wanted everyone back at my place.”

Syrus pouted. But they only went down the slides once! Looking back up at where the net stuff was, Syrus thought that maybe once was enough... _I want to see daddy._

“Okay.” He said.

He didn’t notice the worried glances of the other adults, or how tense Uncle Seto’s magic was.

 

* * *

 

“What are you doing back, Bakura? I thought you were gone.” _For good_ was left unsaid.

With his eyes adjusting to the minimal light, Yugi could make out more of the shape on the bed. The eyes were too sharp to be Ryou’s, and the Ring was resting calmly around his neck. He was shirtless, and there were stab wounds healing on his chest. Dried blood speckled the skin around the wounds.

“Yet here I am. Those books, Harry Potter I believe? Well, the villain there had the right idea about splitting his soul. Too bad the fool didn’t have the right magic to do it in a stable way.” Bakura yawned, as if having to explain himself was boring.

Yugi saw through that. He knew the truth, Bakura was _nervous_. Yugi could send him away, seal him in the Ring again or force him back into the Afterlife. Or… _Is he afraid of something else?_

Bakura smirked. “No to mention the landlord here dabbled a bit too much into blood magics. Tell me, have you heard of spirit mediums? Channelers?”

“Ryou’s channeling you?” Yugi found that a bit hard to believe, but it was Ryou they were talking about. “You’ve read too many fairytales.”

“Have I? Or is Shadow Magic powerful enough to call forth spirits in the Afterlife? You’ve done it before, with that Pharaoh.”

That had been different. Diva and the Ring had skewered the barriers between multiple dimensions, making it easy for Yugi to call out to Atem, for Atem to respond and give him enough help to end things. Yugi didn’t trust Bakura one bit. “What are you doing here?”

“As I said, I had a bit of my soul left in your friend, and I decided it was time for a visit. After all, he did find my Ring again. After that bastard out there tainted it…I figured I should put it back the way I had it.”

“You’re here to be helpful?” Yugi asked skeptically.

Bakura scoffed. “Hardly. I just take care of what’s mine. And since I appointed myself as your babysitter, _vessel_ , I figured I could find you the Ring and visit a few old _friends_ while I was here. After all, Ryou did call out to me when that demon fought him in South America.”

“Demon?”

“Well, aren’t you full of questions today.” Bakura grinned darkly, sitting up. “Yes. A demon. But what do I get for telling you any more?”

“What more can you want?” Yugi asked. “You got what you wanted, in a way. You were reunited with your family in the Afterlife, Zorc was stopped, Atem apologized to _everyone_ for his father and uncle’s actions. He made sure everyone who was wronged by the Items was granted peace.”

“Is it Bakura I’m dealing with, or is it the Thief King, Akefia?”

Another scoff. “May as well stick with Bakura. We’re one and the same now after all, with Zorc gone. Like how your Yami is simply _Atem_.” Bakura stood up.

“Then what do you want?”

“The same as you; that _demon_ stopped, the Items collected, I want what’s _mine_ ,” that time, he gestured to his, to _Ryou’s_ , body, “safe. And I want that blasted Pharaoh out of the Afterlife as much as you do. He is insufferable with his moping and whining about you.”

“You-“

“Know of a way to bring Pharaoh Atem out of the Afterlife and back to the land of the living. Complete with a body of his own.” Bakura grinned. “And without having to sacrifice your _children_.” He sneered the word. “Honestly, little brats…all three of them.”

“Keep away from my sons, and Jaden.” Yugi glared at him. “And what do you know of what I want?”

“Who do you think sent you that dream of drowning? Of Chaos, Power, and Peace?”

“That was you?”

Now _that_ , Yugi wouldn’t believe. The drowning part, yes. It was easy to see Bakura setting that illusion up. There was no lost love between him and the spirit. There had to be a reason for him to bring it up though.

“Someone had to get you on the right track.” Bakura rolled his eyes, waving a hand to increase the light from the candles. “I may hate the rest of the Items, but I don’t think the Afterlife would be too fun with you and the rest of the band of idiots there too early.”

 _Am I ever going to get a straight answer here?_ Yugi wondered. “Alright…start with the demon.” Maybe if they broke it up into small pieces, the thief could keep up.

“It’s just that. A demon. Bat wings, creepy, it looks like something Zorc would have in his minion group.” Bakura shrugged. “It ran off quick enough when I showed up. It almost looked like it was searching for something. Or some _one_.”

_Okay…not a lot to go off of there._

“It didn’t seem too keen to face the magic in the Millennium Ring. So it must be familiar with the magic in the Items.”

“Alright.” Yugi nodded slowly. _Next bit._ “You mentioned channeling?”

“Look up Ryou’s family tree.” Bakura said simply. “Long line of spirit mediums. Though most are female. It’s not a real power within him of course, simply a connection between us that makes it easier for me to get to my soul piece.”

 _Still sounds fake. But okay._ “The dream?”

“A warning.”

Yugi sighed. _Should’ve expected that. Bastard…_ “Are you just here to fuck with everyone?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m here because Ryou called me, because I’m possessive.”

“No shit.” Yugi muttered.

“And because the demon dropped this when it fled.”

There was something shining in Bakura’s hand. He tossed it, Yugi catching it easily. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.

Another piece of the Millennium Puzzle.

“It’s either trying to find the Puzzle to gain its power, or to destroy it.” Bakura warned. “Ryou’s hold on my complete soul is slipping, so if you have more questions, ask quickly.”

“Why are you helping, really?”

“Again?” Bakura growled. “What more do you want out of me? I _told_ you. That thing isn’t going to destroy what’s mine. And Ryou is mine.”

_That almost sounds like Bakura li-_

“I have another warning too, little _Hikari_.” Bakura narrowed his eyes. “The Sacred Beasts have powers not even the Gods can replicate. If you have any hope in defeating them next time they attack, you may want to rethink everything you know about dueling.”

“And what does _that_ mean?” Yugi wondered if Bakura would ever make sense. Maybe being in the Afterlife had more of an effect on him than they realized.

“It means a fight with them, a fight against that demon, won’t be a normal duel. Or even a Shadow Duel.” Bakura said. “It will be real. And dying is real for everyone involved, including the monsters.”

“It wasn’t just Ryou calling to me that made me come back. The gods needed someone to speak with you about this. Right now, there are too many events going on in all dimensions. The sudden appearance of even more monsters, even ones that Pegasus cannot see. The creation of a new dimension, one only called Distortion, there’s rumors that Exodia has escaped to there. The destruction of the timeline here that caused _another_ new dimension to appear. You just _had_ to see the brunette brat didn’t you?”

“It wasn’t like I planned to see _Jaden_.” Yugi said.

“Either way, you created another event.” Bakura went on. “The Light of Destruction, the white hole your scientists are making a fuss over, is more active than ever. Neo Space is going crazy, which is why Jupiter hasn’t been visible in some time. Shadow Magic is trying to keep the balance with everything, and that’s creating more ripples between dimensions. That Cube started this off really. That… and your sons.”

“Zane and Syrus?” Yugi asked. “How?”

“Now now pharaoh, where is the fun in revealing _everything_? I’ve told you what’s going on. And you already know how to fix it.”

“By finding the Items. And bringing Atem back.” Yugi said.

“Not just that.” Bakura frowned. “You may think him all powerful, but even gods and pharaohs have their limits. For peace to win, chaos and power must be wielded. And sometimes, even the ultimate sacrifice isn’t enough. You already have all the parts to the solution that will balance things out. It’s just using that small brain of yours to put them together.”

“Do we have to deal with everything?”

“No. The Light is out of your control, as is Neo Space. And Distortion is a one-way portal. You can get in, but nothing can come out. Those are just putting too much pressure on everything else, it’s causing time and space to distort oddly. Hence the ease in which I was able to return. Ryou used _no_ magic in calling to me, as if I was just resting inside the Ring the entire time.” Bakura explained.

“I _will_ return to the Ring, for now. As much as I would love to control this dimension and see you dead…I will never get the chance if it is destroyed.” He added. “Besides…my mother was quite fond of this place, even if it was never kind to her. I won’t let the small things that made her happy in life die.”

_So you do have a heart after all._

Yugi sighed. Things had just become even more complicated. _He said some things we shouldn’t worry about. They’re out of our control or they simply can’t get to us._ The talk about Light had his magic on edge though. So far, anything ‘light’ seemed to be out to kill them. Then again, Cubic monsters were dark and wanted them dead. _Everything wants to kill us. As usual._

And his grandfather said it was a good idea to bring the kids. _Well…Bakura_ is _quite resourceful when it comes to staying alive._ Having him around may be helpful. He would have to stop calling them brats though.

“I don’t trust you.” Yugi said. “If you’re going to help, you’ll have to prove we _can_ trust you.”

“Oh believe me _King_ , **you should never trust a thief, but you should trust a messenger of the gods.** ”

It was strange to hear the old language in Bakura’s voice. From what Ryou had said, Bakura could speak it as well as anyone could, but he couldn’t read or write it. He spoke it in the same way Atem had before.

“We’ll see which one you are Bakura.” Yugi decided.

If the gods really did send him back, then Yugi knew they were in more trouble than what he thought. They could have sent anyone. Mahado, Mana, Seth, _Atem_ … but to send Bakura who, arguably, would be the most useful for what they were doing...

He wasn’t looking forward to what the rest of the quest would hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DIVA SNEAKED HIS WAY INTO THIS CHAPTER HI DIVA. And…Bakura. You were not planned buddy but damn you fit in with the plot.
> 
> I don’t know if there’s an official number for how many pieces the Puzzle has, but I made it 42. Because I did actual research and the magical numbers for Egypt are 2, 3, 4, and 7. So I multiplied those (162, Too big.) divided by 2 (84. Better, but too big too.) and divided by 2 again, which got 42. And hey that’s the meaning of life SO.
> 
> Tastes changing while flying is something I’ve heard can happen. It didn’t happen to me, I had salmon on my way to Taiwan and loved it as much as I do when I eat it at ground level.
> 
> I also hope I’m finally spelling Akefia’s name right. I explained it before, but Akefia/Bakura/Ryou are split like Atem/Yami/Yugi. In order, it goes Egyptian/Item-contained Soul/Hikari. Atem/Yami and Akefia/Bakura are the same person, but Yami and Bakura contain some of Zorc’s influence (because Atem sealed Zorc in both the Ring and Puzzle from what I’ve read) and Atem and Akefia do not.
> 
> And I’m also blending together what was said about Set in seasons 1-4 with what I remember of season 5 Set. So loyal priest with destructive tendencies.
> 
> I WILL BE KEEPING A COUNT AT THE BOTTOM HERE OF EVERYTHING FOUND SO FAR. For me to keep things in order, and for you to follow along! (We are counting the Cube and Pyramid of Light too.)  
> Items Found: Necklace, Ring, Cube, Pyramid(destroyed)  
> Puzzle Pieces found: 2


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> World Tour Part 2 (Yugi REALLY didn’t sign up for this part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to start out with, allow me to say I have a list of the cards the main six use. Meaning parents and kids. I did not know there were so many Roid and Cyber support cards. And boy does Yugi have a ton of cards. Now this is just the cards they use, not the cards in their dueling deck.
> 
> I did include cards that were not out until 5Ds, Xexal, etc. THESE CARDS ARE NOT IN THEIR DUELING DECKS. Their duel decks are as follows: Zane, Syrus, and Jaden have their Season 1 Decks (plus/minus a few cards), Yugi and Seto have their DSoD decks (plus/minus a few cards, added in some they held throughout the anime/manga), Joey…spoiler…has a mix of his deck and another Red-Eyes user’s deck. Every other card is either a fusion or extra cards. (Everyone has a deck of 40 cards, save for Yugi, who has 45, and Seto, who has 50) I tried to stay away from XYZ and Synchro monsters.
> 
> I COULD ADD THEM THOUGH CONSIDERING ONE OF THE GX TAG FORCE GAMES HAS SYNCHRO MONSTERS. (Tag Force 3 AKA DRAMAtical Murder lite feat. Lesbians)
> 
> And now Bakura is here. I mean, it works out. The plot is still on track. I haven’t fucked up. Actually, he helped the plot.
> 
> WARNINGS: Dress in drag and do the hula. (Now with Trans Positivity!)(And some questionable support of the trans community from Bakura. I’m sorry he’s old and doesn’t keep up with the times so some things may seem offensive. Please remember he is like 3,025 years old, and the others try to correct him as best they can.)

“I swear Yugi, I have him under control.”

It was a relief to be speaking to Ryou again. After the confusion that was speaking with Bakura, getting straight answers was relaxing. “How did this even happen?”

“He told you of the demon in South America?”

“Yes.” Yugi nodded, finishing the message for Malik and Seto. It was in hieroglyphics, no one else could read it. “And some spirit medium stuff and the Ring’s a horcrux.”

“Well I panicked.” Ryou admitted. “And suddenly he was there. Protecting me. I didn’t get a good look at the demon, but he gave you the Puzzle piece?”

Yugi held up the piece. “Two down, forty to go.”

“Good. And he has strict rules. No being out around the boys unless they are in mortal peril, and no taking over my body without consent unless someone is in mortal peril.” Ryou said. “And by mortal peril, I stressed that I mean ‘will be dead within the next minute’, because he said ‘You’re _always_ in mortal peril’. Then called me Landlord.” He pouted.

Yugi chuckled. Ryou seemed to be just fine, all things considered. “Would you rather him call you _Hikari_ like he kept hissing at me?” Yugi couldn’t get his voice sinister enough to do a good impression of the spirit.

“That means ‘light’. Landlord just sounds…rude.”

“Well he is rude.” Yugi poked one of the healed marks on Ryou’s chest. “At least he helped heal those quickly.”

“Yes, and…” Ryou paused, seeming to stare at nothing. Yugi knew that look, the same one he would get when Atem was talking to him. “And he believes he knows the location of either the Rod, Scales, or Key. It’s not too clear which one it is.”

Well that would be useful. “Wait until the others get back. Come on, let’s go prove to Ishizu you aren’t dead."

Talking to Ishizu was easy. Ryou removed the lock on the door and acted as if nothing had went on. “See? Not dead!” He smiled.

Manny and Odion eyed the Ring warily, one of the Cubic monsters Diva left circled around Manny almost protectively. _If we want to talk about creepy things…_ It was one of the Cubic Seeds Diva used, no attack points, harmless, but _creepy_. Like Thousand-Eyes Restrict levels of creepy.

They seemed to be able to control their size like the dragons too. That, or it was a different monster entirely. Either way, Yugi stayed away from it.

 _:Big bad duelist, scared of a seed.:_ Gandora taunted as Yugi’s shoulder warmed up with his voice.

 _:You can ask X about those things.:_ Yugi retorted. _:They’re creepy.:_

“Are the others at the museum?” Ryou asked.

Yugi nodded. “Last I checked.”

He was proven wrong when everyone came back. Syrus rushed over to him, Zane following at a slower pace.

“Daddy, daddy! We got to play at a play place for lunch!” Syrus announced. “And I went down a big slide!”

Yugi smiled. “Did you two have fun?”

They both nodded. “And we got milkshakes and chicken nuggets and fries but I didn’t like the chicken nuggets.”

“We traded, fries for chicken nuggets.” Zane added.

“And I got to see a Cube monster!”

Yugi looked up at the adults, smile falling as he looked from Diva to Seto. “Really now?”

“Don’t look at me. He decided that without us knowing.” Seto said. “What happened with the Ring?”

Yugi huffed. He’d much rather the boys didn’t meet anything like the Cubic monsters without him around. “That’s a long story.”

“Tell us after you eat.” Joey held out a bag to Yugi, Malik handing out a few more. “We got food for you guys too.”

Yugi ate quickly, letting Zane and Syrus steal a few fries. Ryou was just as rushed as he sat on Malik’s lap. A downside to the Ring’s power that never escaped notice, it took a lot of energy and always left the wearer starving.

“Bakura’s back.”

It was said between bites of food, almost missed by everyone.

“ ** _WHAT_**.”

Seto’s hands hitting the table wasn’t missed, nor was the loud tone. It made all three children flinch. Yugi didn’t miss a beat in pulling Zane and Syrus closer, Joey doing the same with Jaden while glaring at Seto.

“And just when were you going to tell us that damn thieving bastard was back?!”

“Language.” Yugi, Joey, and Ishizu all snapped, getting a glare from Seto in return.

Ryou shrugged. “Yugi spoke with him. He’s on a tight leash by his ‘landlord’ as he called me. And he saved me from a demon who had a piece of the Puzzle.” He took another bite of his burger. “He’s not allowed near children under thirteen years of age unless mortal peril is going on.”

“And no playing body snatchers.” Yugi added as Syrus stole another fry from him. “He’s actually being nice. Said the gods sent him.”

“You believe that?” Seto asked.

Yugi hummed. “I don’t trust him. But he did willingly had over the Puzzle piece. And it is a real piece. He also said something about the Sacred Beasts…they have a power the gods don’t.”

Ishizu frowned. “A power the gods do not have?”

“And if we have any chance of defeating them, we need to rethink everything we know about dueling.”

Yugi wasn’t sure what Bakura had meant about that. And the others seemed just as confused. _Could he mean it’ll be like the Capsule Monsters game? Or like a Shadow Game?_ Dueling was usually constant with rules, though he heard it was different in the Spirit Realm. Mahaad said dueling between spirits was catching on, everyone seemed to have a magic version of Seto’s duel disks used at the Academy, with modifications for everyone who dueled. But they seemed to stick to the rules used at the Academy too, with the exception of being able to summon themselves.

“Whatever that means…” Malik said. “It didn’t sound good.”

“It may be like dimension dueling.” Diva spoke up. “You control how powerful your monster is.”

“If that’s the case,” Joey picked up Jaden, setting his son on his lap. “Then there’s no doubt those Sacred Beasts are powerful. Or the person summoning them is.”

Yugi nodded in agreement. Just a shade of one was able to knock him back with powerful magic, and set up a drain on him. “It would help if we had names for each of them.” They could research then, but so far, Pegasus wasn’t coming up with anything. There was no mention of Sacred Beasts that matched the pictures they had anywhere.

They just looked like demented God Cards.

“Bakura knows where another Item is as well.” Ryou finished his burger, moving onto his fries. “He said it’s either the Rod, Scales, or Key.”

“Where?” Malik asked.

Ryou paused. “Well…he wanted to tell you.” He said. “It _would_ be easier. Would that be alright?”

Jaden squeaked as Joey tightened his arms around his son’s waist. Yugi was hesitant too, looking at Zane and Syrus.

“Why not?” Diva asked. “We’re all here. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to try to hurt the kids with so many people watching them.”

“I have to agree.” Ishizu said. “And it would be far easier for him to tell us rather than you being his messenger.”

Everyone reluctantly agreed. It would be easier to hear straight from Bakura. Malik kept his arms around Ryou, not letting him get up.

“He can talk from right here. That way,” Malik grinned, “if he acts up, I can get him to stop.”

Ryou rolled his eyes before closing them. Yugi never knew how it looked when Atem was taking control of his body. Joey and Tea told him once that the physical change was noticeable, but if you blinked you would miss it happening. Tristan said it actually looked ‘weird as hell because you look like twins anyway’. Like they just replaced each other secretly when no one was looking and the other was just hiding somewhere. Accurate, to a point.

With Ryou and Bakura, the change was even less noticeable. The only thing that gave it away was the glow from the Ring. And once his eyes opened, they were the sharp amber of Bakura, not the soft honey of Ryou.

“And here I thought I would only be let out for ‘mortal peril’.” Bakura grimaced at Malik. “And I thought I was rid of you.”

“Like I’m gonna let you loose around my nephews.” Malik said. “You might not be like my disaster of a personality, but you’re still a bas-…a bad person.” He corrected.

Bakura snorted. “What? Can’t curse around the brats?”

“Were not brats!” Zane snapped, flinching as Bakura looked at him, but not backing down.

“Brave, kid. No doubt you’re one of the Pharaoh’s spawn”

Yugi sighed. _I’ll take that as a good sign that he graduated from brat to kid…then down to spawn…_

“Items, thief, Ryou said you knew where one was.” Malik helped to keep things on track.

Bakura nodded. “I do.” He lifted up the Ring and everyone watched as the spokes on the Ring pointed South. “However, getting there will be impossible for all but two of you.”

“Why’s that?” Joey asked.

“Because,” Bakura smirked, “I recognize the area the Ring is pointing to. And if you aren’t female, you aren’t getting anywhere close to the town.”

“Why’s that?” Joey asked again.

“It’s a town made by women, governed by women, and no man is allowed there unless under certain circumstances.” Bakura explained. “Things like trials. Or birth of a child if their child’s mother lives there. Or someone who is both genders or three or however you all say it now.”

“Genderfluid.” Yugi supplied. “And a town that doesn’t allow men?” That would mean the only two who could go see if there was a Millennium Item there would be Ishizu and Sara.

“What, do they actually stop to check?” Diva asked.

Bakura laughed. “I wouldn’t have gotten in before if they did. If you say nothing and look like a girl, it’s good enough to the guards.” He grinned darkly. “So if you didn’t want to send the pipsqueak and Isis’ reincarnation… you could duct tape his mouth and send in the little Queen. Or even the Priest and his mutt!”

“You’re really rude.” Jaden spoke up. “Uncle Ryou should wash your mouth out with soap. That’s what papa did to Uncle Mokuba when he cursed.”

The others had to hold back their laughter at Jaden’s words and Bakura’s mildly shocked face. “And here I thought you’d teach these spawn that children are better when they’re neither seen nor heard.” He deadpanned.

“Not a chance Akefia.” Yugi said. “Two are my sons after all. Do I look like the type to play or teach that part?”

“The thief does have a point in his words.” Ishizu interrupted.

“About the kids?”

She shook her head. “No. It is far too dangerous for Sara to come with to this town. However, going alone is also dangerous.”

There was a glimmer in her eyes that Yugi didn’t exactly like. He thought over what Bakura had told him, growing paler as he did.

Ishizu and Sara were the only girls in Egypt. And it wouldn’t make sense to fly anyone else in, it would take too long. But with Sara being young, no doubt Diva would agree that she wouldn’t be going to search for the Item. And to send Ishizu alone would be foolish, and even more dangerous. What magic she did have wasn’t enough to protect her.

But Bakura had said the guards don’t look too closely if someone is a man or a woman so long as the clothes looked the part… And everyone’s eyes on him made Yugi back up. “W-wait! Can’t we talk this out?!” He yelped.

“You know, Yugi _does_ look a lot like a girl…” Malik grinned.

“And if we straighten out his hair, he could almost look like a mini, hair dyed Ishizu…” Joey added.

“Daddy looks pretty in his wedding dress!” Syrus chirped.

_Turning my own son against me?!_

“Look, I’m all for fashion not having a gender and all-“

“You literally told the boys you were fine being called ‘mom’.” Seto brought up.

“Okay that is _completely_ different from what you’re asking here!” Yugi protested. “You want me to go with Ishizu into a town that _doesn’t allow men_ when I’m _clearly_ a guy and _what_ will happen if they find out about that fact?!”

Bakura rolled his eyes. “Did what I say go over your head? Or are you seriously dense?” He questioned. “They don’t check too closely, and even if they did, they allow people who are _biologically male_ under certain circumstances. Isn’t there a word for that now?! Men who dress as girls, act like girls, call themselves girls?!”

“Drag queens?” Diva supplied.

“I think the word he wants is transgender.” Manny corrected.

“So I have to pretend to be transgender?” Yugi asked. “Because that sounds even more offensive to people who actually are.” He liked being male. Even if dresses and skirts were fun and comfortable sometimes. Pretending to be anything but male seemed really insensitive.

“You just have to look like a girl, act like a girl, find the Item, and leave.” Bakura said. “Pretend to be mute if you’re that worried that pretending to be a girl will be offensive.”

“Yug’.” Joey looked at his best friend. “What ya gotta do, is dress in drag and do the hula.”

That sent the three boys into a fit of giggles. The Lion King was pretty much the go-to movie for even Zane, so the reference was not lost on anyone but Bakura and the Plana trio. Malik couldn’t help but cackle at it.

“No one else is gonna know!” Joey grinned. “Come on, for Atem?”

Yugi glared darkly at Joey.

“My pharaoh.”

_Oh no she’s either going to make sense or guilt trip me._

“You do not have to do this. However, you are the most qualified. The Items seem to react kindly to your presence.”

_She’s doing both._

“However.”

_I’m scared._

“I believe Seto Kaiba should come with us.”

Everyone stopped laughing at the dragon-like growl that escaped Seto. He hissed something that had Zane covering Syrus’ ears.

“Do not hiss at me.” Ishizu met his glare with a steady gaze. “Unless you have another plan?”

“Why not send in _actual girls_?” Seto gestured to Yugi. “Or is the Dark Magician _Girl_ hiding something?”

Yugi sighed. He had thought of that, for a second. “And if something goes wrong? My magic can only stretch so far, even if Mana adds her own in to help keep her here. If there’s a fight, there or out here, I couldn’t keep her there.”

“Are you _agreeing_ with them now?” Seto looked incredulously at Yugi. “And if something happens here? Who’s going to watch Jaden and your sons?”

“You do remember your _fiancé_ is good with physical fights, right?” Joey butted in.

“And what are we? Weaklings?” Malik protested. “Ryou- well Bakura for now- and I have magic!”

“Then you go!”

“And risk the Item being the Rod? No thank you!” Malik said. “I’ll take Bakura over that thing any day.”

“The Rod does belong to you after all, Seto.” Ishizu said. “It was Set’s Item.”

His glare could get even Deep-eyes and Gandora to cower. Yugi’s only thought was relief that he didn’t have to go it alone.

“Okay. So Ishizu, Yugi, and Seto are going.” Joey grinned. “You know what that means, right?”

The fear returned as Yugi looked at Joey. He didn’t like that tone…

 

* * *

 

“Yugi, how are you legs so damn smooth?! Do you just not grow hair anyplace but on the top of your head?”

“Malik, one more comment and I’ll get out the portable DVD player and let _you_ sit with Syrus to watch Tarzan fifty times while we’re here.” There was only so much of that movie Yugi could take in one sitting.

He would make Malik suffer if the other male didn’t _shut up_ with the comments. Ishizu didn’t have anything that would fit him, but Sara did. She bought quite a few things a few sizes too big when the doctor told her to expect a growth spurt soon. And they were just the right size for Yugi.

She, Malik, and Diva were helping Yugi while Ishizu, Ryou, and Joey helped Seto. Manny and Odion didn’t know much about women’s clothing, and didn’t want to risk Seto’s wrath, and volunteered to watch the boys.

The first outfit Yugi tried on wasn’t too bad. A plain white sundress, it would keep the heat from being overbearing, but it was a bit too short for Yugi to wear anything underneath. They tried leggings, but those were tight and uncomfortable and too warm to wear outside.

“At this rate, you’ll be stuck camping out anyway until tomorrow if you left today.” Malik said. “And trust me, leggings are good in desert nights.”

Yugi still said no.

The next outfit was a no even for Sara to wear. She hadn’t realized that it was see-through when she bought it. “Rule for any clothing,” Yugi said, “put your hand in it, hold it up. If you see your hand, put it back.”

The third was better. Another dress, sky blue, but too low cut. “His lack of breasts wouldn’t make him very convincing.” Diva commented.

They were on the fourth, and Yugi had only just put on the skirt when Malik commented on his legs. “And you try wearing leather or skinny jeans with hair on your legs.” So what if he shaved? It’s not like he had anything on his face to shave after all. And it gave him something to do to cure boredom when he was younger. He just kept doing it when he realized how easy it was to wear his outfits without the worry of a hair ripping out.

“I did. It hurts like hell.” Malik said. “But how can they stay that smooth after shaving how long ago?”

“Shaving cream for sensitive skin, can we stop with the questions aimed at my legs?”

“How are still so freaking _pale_ is the question I have.” Diva spoke up.

Yugi huffed. “ _Sorry_ that Domino doesn’t have many places to go tanning in _Spring_.”

The skirt was the best one so far. Still a pale blue color, it came down mid-thigh on him. It wasn’t see-through, but the material was thin. Sara smiled, handing over the top that was supposed to go with it.

“I don’t like the top, but it should look good on you!” She said.

Yugi slipped it on. The shirt came down to just above his waist, hugging him there but bunching up slightly around his chest. The back was a little more open, and clasped around his neck just below the Necklace. He couldn’t wear any collars with it, but the Necklace was staying on no matter what. It was the same color as the skirt, with gold designs twisting on the fabric.

“It looks perfect!” Sara smiled brightly. “No one will doubt that you’re a girl while you’re wearing that! And it’ll help you stay cool in the desert heat.”

 _At least I won’t be dying from heat exhaustion in a jacket this time._ Yugi looked in the mirror. Wearing the dress he married Atem in was one thing. Hell, he’d admit to having a few more skirts and dresses in his closet, most of which were gag gifts from friends, and sometimes playing dress up or just seeing how they looked. It was fun embarrassing Joey by complimenting his fashion sense when it came to choosing dresses, though he was the only one with a sister out of their group.

But actually going out in a skirt seemed _weird_ , even as his mind supplied multiple pictures of Atem in what would be considered a skirt in modern times. He was just used to pants and shorts.

 _:It’s clothing, pup. It makes no sense to wear it at all. It doesn’t protect you from anything in the hot times.:_ Gandora’s growling heated his shoulder again and Yugi covered the mark with his hand.

The top didn’t cover any of it, and that would be a problem. Even if tattoos were common, he was sure normal ones did grow hot with magic, or glow. “I have to keep my shoulder covered.” Yugi sighed.

“No you don’t!” Sara hurried over to her dresser, grabbing a few different things. “I think I have the right blend, if not I can go get some…” She looked back over at Yugi. “You really _are_ pale.”

She and Diva laughed at the unimpressed look Yugi gave her. “Don’t worry! I should be able to cover that up, and the concealer is sweat resistant so you don’t have to worry about it coming off.”

She tested it on one of the smaller markings, tracing it with a light color lipstick before putting the…whatever she called it on top. _How do girls keep track of all that make-up stuff?_ Yugi wondered. Tea tried explaining it once, but it went right over Yugi’s head.

“It worked!” Sara said. Yugi looked at his shoulder in the mirror. The marking was gone, and he could only tell there was slight discoloration if he looked too closely. It could just be passed off as normal though.

“Let’s go show the others, then you can work on covering up the rest!” Malik decided, grabbing Yugi’s arm and dragging him out.

Everyone was in the main room except for Seto and Ishizu, which meant all eyes were on Yugi when Malik stopped letting him hide behind him.

“Mommy looks really pretty!” Syrus said.

“Looks like Syrus agrees you’re a girl, Yugi.” Ryou laughed lightly.

Joey grinned. “Sy always switches up like that when Yugi wears pretty clothes. Gotta agree Yug, that outfit looks good.”

Yugi blushed. Too much attention on him, he didn’t like it.

“He just needs shoes and he’s good to go!” Sara announced.

“I have shoes.” Yugi sighed. The white sandals, he initially brought them along because they were easier to walk in during hotter days than his usual sneakers or boots. They would work with the outfit though.

“His hair still needs to be tamed as well.” Ishizu commented, practically dragging Seto behind her to get him out of hiding.

Yugi stared. “Why does he get to wear pants?!” The shorter protested.

“Because he has the legs to pull of capris.” Malik retorted. “You look better in skirts.”

Yugi pouted. At least Seto was in a crop top too. It was a darker blue color than what Yugi wore, and looked shorter on Seto’s longer torso. “Are you wearing extensions?”

His hair was long, almost to his waist, even in the high ponytail that Ishizu put it in.

“No.” Seto growled, glaring at Ryou. “ _Someone_ found a spell to make it longer for a week.”

Ryou smiled calmly. “Well, you didn’t make a very convincing woman with short hair.” He replied. “And it’s hardly my fault that I can find creative ways to use spell cards.”

 _What sort of spell cards does Ryou have if he can find one that makes your hair longer?_ Yugi wondered.

“Once Yugi’s hair is fixed, we can go. It will take the rest of the day to get there.” Ishizu said. “We cannot take a car unfortunately, but we do have horses.”

“I wanna come with!” Jaden said at the mention of horses. “I wanna ride a horse!”

“Not this time kiddo.” Joey laughed. “Let your papa and uncle handle things.”

Yugi agreed silently. He didn’t want to bring Zane and Syrus out in the heat for any longer than he truly needed to. They would be out in it enough if they decided to check back at Kul Elna for any Items or Puzzle pieces.

Fixing his hair was easy enough. Water and some styling gel got it to fall straight, and Ryou added on another spell to help it stay that way.

“I know you said styling only lasts for a few hours, if even that, with your hair.” Ryou said. “This should hold it for three days, even after you wash out the gel.”

“Thanks Ryou.” Yugi sighed, looking in the mirror again. His reflection just looked so _odd_. “Keep an eye on Zane an Syrus.” He begged his friend. “It’s their first time being out of Japan since they were younger.”

“Of course.” Ryou promised. “I know how it can feel, being so far away from home.”

 

* * *

 

They were able to take a car to the edge of the desert. Yugi would miss the air conditioning, but he knew he’d be missing the heat once the sun set too. Everyone had stayed behind at the Ishtar’s home, Yugi didn’t want to bring Zane and Syrus with to see them off, knowing Syrus would want to come with them then. There was no way he could however.

The horses were ready for them, and had everything they would need for the day’s journey to the town. Yugi gently patted his horse’s shoulder. She was a beautiful white mare, more interested in Yugi than in the handler who was trying to get her to turn away so he could get on.

He let a small strand of magic wrap around her. That was usually what caught animals’ attentions. They could feel the magic better than humans could. The mare was more compliant with the magic now blatantly around her, and not just a phantom of something she could barely feel.

Seto was on a rowan stallion, who seemed unimpressed at his handler’s blatant attempts at flirting with the CEO. Yugi giggled every time he saw Seto practically shove the engagement ring he wore in the man’s face. The horse eventually decided to help the man take the hint, nipping at him before walking over to Ishizu and the bay mare she rode.

Yugi was grateful he didn’t suffer the same treatment. But the awe that he saw instead, he could do without. Ishizu had decided before leaving that Yugi was still underdressed. Along with the Necklace, he wore gold bracelets on his free arm, a golden anklet, and a circlet on his head. It looked much like his other one, but wider with ‘wings’ on the sides.

It was a feminine version of the one he had seen Atem wear before. One fitting for a Queen.

“You’re _really_ enjoying this, aren’t you?” He muttered to Ishizu as she took the lead. They left the stables quickly, the horses carrying everything they would need. “Playing dress up with us.”

“I have no clue what you are getting at, my pharaoh.” The look in her eyes said otherwise.

“Isis you’re as innocent as Mahado was when all of the priests’ clothes were turned green for a week.” Seto growled.

“Why Set, I thought you liked the color?”

There wasn’t much Yugi could say to contribute to their conversation. His mind wandered to the details Ishizu had told them in the car. The town was one of only women, not even husbands or sons were allowed to stay there.

There were exceptions, as Bakura had said before. But those were few and far between. Ishizu had been to the town before on business, and knew their leader well. Hopefully they could find the Item and leave without much fuss.

But for that to happen, they had to play their parts well. _I just really have to act the part of a Queen. A female queen. Oh Atem I did not sign up for this._ When Atem called him ‘queen’, it was cute, affectionate, and he could very well call him ‘husband’ in the same breath. But having to act like a girl? Yugi wasn’t so sure about it.

 _If Zane or Syrus or both of them feel more comfortable as a girl, I will fully support them._ He decided that ages ago. Having to pretend to be a different gender just cemented that. Yugi felt uncomfortable. It wasn’t the clothes or the hair, it was the thought of having to be a girl.

He wasn’t a girl. And he was thankful no one tried to take the undercover mission to extremes of using magic to even _attempt_ to make him a girl.

Looking over at Seto, he could see the discomfort he felt mirrored in his cousin. _He’s risking a lot doing this._ Yugi realized. Society was pretty accepting for the most part, but it would still cause a large scandal if anyone were to see him and recognize him like that. The tenseness of Seto’s shoulders meant he was on high alert for that exact scenario, even if they were in the middle of a desert where you would have to be an idiot to camp out to try and get a celebrity scandal.

Years of danger left wariness as second nature. Yugi wished he could help put him at ease. _Maybe…_ Mahaad had been teaching him how to use Shadow Magic in different ways. And if it could be used to dye clothing, could it change eye colors? One of the most noticeable things about Seto was his eyes. Just changing them would make people second guess who he was.

He guided his magic over to Seto, curling it around the CEO’s magic and creeping up. He focused on a different color, getting the picture clear in his head. He didn’t want to mess anything up. When he felt confident with it, he bent his magic around the image and let it travel to Seto’s.

The sudden stopping of Seto’s horse was followed by a glare at Yugi. “What are you doing?” He asked.

Yugi grinned. “Well, you’ll see when we stop.”

It had worked. Where Seto’s eyes were once an icy blue color, the color he saw in the narrowed look was hazel.

“Magic is awesome.” Was all he said before getting his horse to a trot in order to catch up to Ishizu.

 

* * *

 

Stopping for the night required finding a good spot. Luckily, Ishizu knew of the perfect spot.

“It is a small oasis.” She explained as they drew closer to it. “A common midpoint between the city and the town. Merchants tend to rest there.”

“So we’ll be around other people?” Seto sounded almost hesitant.

“Yes. But we have advantages they do not.”

 _Magic._ Yugi relaxed. They would be alright. Seto could summon Kisara, or he could summon Gandora, and they would be guarded for the night.

Yugi was tempted to summon Gandora anyway, if only for the extra heat. With the sun going down, the desert was cooling quickly. Luckily, he had brought his jacket with him, putting it on as they walked. Seto had done the same with his white trench coat, Ishizu hadn’t seemed bothered by the change in temperature yet.

He wished he had been able to talk Sara into seeing the outfit would go well with leggings. _I would just complain about them when it got hot though._ He reasoned with himself. They would be at the stopping point soon enough, and then he could hide away in a tent and warm his legs under a blanket.

And maybe under a dragon.

“Will the horses be alright?” Yugi asked.

“Yes. There are guards at the oasis, they come from the town we are to visit.” Ishizu explained. “The horses will not be hurt or stolen.”

Reassured, Yugi relaxed as they came up to the oasis. It was easy to pick out the guards that Ishizu mentioned. _They look like they could get Zorc to surrender with just a look_. There were only three guards, one talking to Ishizu and looking quite relaxed, but they were armed, and no doubt they knew how to use the weapons they held.

What really caught his attention, was the light trace of magic he felt coming from them. It was Shadow Magic. The mare he was on shifted on her hooves nervously, and listening closely, Yugi could hear something moving underneath them.

 _They can summon!_ He shared an alarmed look with Seto. _How did we not know about this?!_

On his wrist, his duel disk grew hot. A message of shock and one that meant they needed to talk immediately.

Ishizu led them to one side of the small lake, where tents were already set up. “I was told we could use one of the tents for the night.” She said, gesturing to a large tent.

Yugi was hardly inside before he started talking. “Ishizu you didn’t tell us that they can use _magic_! That they can _summon_!”

“How is this even possible?” Seto had a small map up from his disk, showing the part of the desert they were in along with multiple red dots. “ _How_?!”

Ishizu sighed. “They are not truly using Magic.” She explained. “You forget, the connection between our dimension and the Spirit Realm works both ways.”

“And you couldn’t warn us?!” Yugi took off the circlet, the bracelets and anklet following. “They have magic!”

“Yes, my pharaoh, but look where we are.” Ishizu pointed out. “Egypt is the birthplace of Shadow Magic. Even those born here without it will have traces of it. More than a trace of it if they have close bonds to spirits.”

“There is much you have yet to learn, my pharaoh. This journey will teach you all you need to know.”

Yugi sighed. _I’m twenty-two, yet she’s talking to me like I’m back in high school!_ He didn’t think Seto’s patience could stretch that far, even though his own could. “So they can’t summon, but whatever spirit is in the ground around here came on it’s own?”

Ishizu nodded. “Sometimes they get through the connection and cannot return, so they simply remain in our dimension. This Sand Moth came through a few months ago, and bonded with the town’s leader. Now it helps to guard the oasis, and stop any who come meaning harm to the town.”

“Warn us before we walk into another place drenched in magic.” Seto muttered, finally deciding to look the mirror provided in the tent. “…You changed my eyes.” He looked accusingly at Yugi.

“Well everyone knows your eyes, Seto.” Yugi said. “No one will recognize you this way.”

He gave a short nod. “The sooner this is over, the better.”

Yugi couldn’t help but agree.

It was late into the night that they finally caved, summoning both Kisara and Gandora. Ishizu was asleep, and Yugi was close to following. Wearing a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top- a feminine look in case someone checked on them during the night- he was grateful for Gandora’s warmth, the dragon curled around him and Yugi resting his head on his stomach. His scales were softer there, making for a good pillow.

Seto had a rolled up sleeping bag as a pillow, a blanket on the floor underneath him and Kisara curled up on top of him. “Do you really believe there will be an Item in this town?” He asked.

Yugi lifted his head. “I think there is. What would Bakura gain from lying about it?”

“Humiliating us?”

“I don’t think he’d do that.” Yugi replied honestly. “Think about it, even if it’s all a lie, about the gods sending him and stuff, I doubt he’d want the Items in some strangers’ hands.”

Seto nodded. “And what better way to gather them than to have us do it for him?”

“But I don’t think he wants that. He seems…calmer. Happier.” The Afterlife was good for the spirit. Both times Yugi spoke with him, he seemed less destructive, even taking the time and magic to heal Ryou and protect him. “I’m more worried about the demon they mentioned.”

Ryou didn’t get a good look at it, and Bakura’s descriptions were not that helpful. If he had to guess, Yugi assumed it was a Duel Spirit. One that knew about the Puzzle.

“Are you sure he didn’t just get scared by his own deck?” Seto sounded snarky. “It’s full of demons and fiends.”

“Ryou has a bond to his deck, they wouldn’t attack him.” Yugi reasoned. “And Dark Necrofear is the only Spirit I can think of that even remotely matches the description Bakura gave.” She wouldn’t hurt Ryou. The few times Yugi saw her, she seemed protective of him.

“Well if Spirits can show up here, they can probably show up in other places. Maybe he stepped on some sacred burial ground and pissed off one.” Seto turned on his side, away from Yugi. Kisara hissed lightly at being woken up, but made herself comfortable again, resting her head on Seto’s side.

 _:You two talk too much.:_ She hissed. _:Sleep. The others will warn us if they find the demon:_

 _:I agree with the little dragon.:_ Gandora shifted around, his tail curling around Yugi to pull him closer. _:Sleep hatchlings. You can worry over things tomorrow.:_

The warmth from Gandora was making Yugi drowsy. He closed his eyes, they were right. Tomorrow would bring on enough worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LUAU! Kudos to those who recognize the warning for the shameless reference it is. And this is 100% mine and Mel’s fault, because she indulges me with rp and Yugi in a dress like his wedding one. And I warned we were gonna steal some LoZ stuff. I was not letting Yugi get out of Egypt without wearing a dress again. Because fashion has no gender.  
> THE OUTFITS. Yugi’s top is like a slightly longer version of Link’s Gerudo outfit. Seto is basically in the Gerudo outfit.
> 
> If this chapter seems a bit more silly than usual, GOOD. I wanted a more comedic yet serious chapter because we aren’t going to see much of that after this. And this part will be resolved in the next chapter. I just didn’t know when I’d next get a chance to update, so I decided to split this chapter in two.
> 
> And every time I type out something for Gandora speaking, I hear Hound from Transformers: Age of Extinction. So X is Crosshairs then?
> 
> ITEMS FOUND SO FAR!  
> Items: Necklace, Ring, Cube, Pyramid(destroyed),  
> Puzzle Pieces: 2


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi Wants To Go Home (And Seto is Done)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hitting a bit of block because my mind wants to jump ahead to The Part. But NO. I WILL GIVE YOU GUYS A GOOD STORY. This won’t end up like the story-that-shall-not-be-named… THIS FREAKING WRITERS BLOCK I SWEAR. Between that and getting a new bed that’s way too hard to sleep on let alone work on…this chapter fought me.
> 
> And we need more of Queen!Yugi. We’ve seen him acting as a pharaoh. Now we get him as Atem’s queen.
> 
> ALSO, I am by no means a Linguistics or Egyptology major. I’m triple majoring in Forensic Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology. From what research I have done, we’re going with Hieratic/Hieroglyphic for written language and I believe Late Egyptian for spoken. So there’s still a huge language barrier while they are in Egypt.

No warning came about a demon. Though once Yugi and Seto were awake, they found multiple messages on their disks from the kids.

Yugi had made sure to tell Zane and Syrus goodnight last night before falling asleep, the boys replying in kind. Though it appeared sleep was the last thing they wanted. According to messages from Malik and Ryou, jet lag finally hit Syrus, making him cranky and unwilling to listen to them. Zane finally had enough and snapped at Syrus to go to bed.

That let to Syrus crying because Zane had never raised his voice at his brother before. Jaden got involved then, yelling at Zane to stop yelling at Syrus.

“This is why we don’t leave them with babysitters overnight.” Seto grumbled.

Joey managed to defuse the situation, but not until after Jaden had hit Zane. It wasn’t a hard hit, the seven-year-old could barely make a fist good enough to hit. But it still made Syrus cry more because Zane appeared shocked that Jaden had hit him.

The end result was Jaden and Zane in time out, an hour before bed time, and Syrus going to bed early after Malik broke down and went to get strawberry milk to see if it would help him sleep.

“Joey could’ve handled them by himself.” Seto said. “Your friends are terrible babysitters.”

Yugi sighed. Part of him had to agree. From the lengthy message Ryou sent explaining the situation, it seemed that Diva and Malik were of no use, and actually made things worse. At least Bakura hadn’t butted in.

Joey’s message ended with saying that the boys summoned Kuriboh and Winged Kuriboh to help them sleep for the night. Nothing else happened after that.

Fixing the circlet, Yugi walked out of the tent to find Ishizu speaking with one of the guards again. He could only make out a few words. _Late Egyptian, way different from Egyptian Arabic._ He thought.

There was some magic on the guard that he could pick up, but tracing it led him to the source, the Sand Moth moving about just outside of the oasis. He wondered how it got through one of the portals. _It had to have been when the Ring possessed Diva._ The spirit seemed comfortable, swimming through the sand and following the other guard around.

As the guard turned to look at Yugi, he worried that they would be found out before they even made it to the town. But she only nodded to him before going back to speaking with Ishizu.

“She’s telling her that you’re royalty.” Seto said, coming out of the tent.

“You know Arabic?” That shouldn’t have surprised Yugi.

“I know enough.” He answered. “Gozaboro saw I had a talent for language, and forced quite a few languages into my tutor’s schedules. But it’s hard to learn when you have tutors who didn’t even know the language existed.”

Yugi nodded as Ishizu walked back over. “We are clear to go on if you two are awake.”

“Without breakfast?” Yugi pouted. Sure, there had been times before when breakfast wasn’t even an option, but that was four years ago. He was used to eating breakfast regularly again.

“Fruit, shrimp. You can eat on the go.” Seto tossed a pear at him.

Yugi looked at the pear quizzically. _Of all the fruit you could bring, why pears?_ He didn’t voice the question.

 

* * *

 

The Sand Moth followed them. Yugi could feel the magic from it just behind the horses. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to bother the animals. “Guess they’re used to the Sand Moth.” Yugi said.

“Yes. The guards recognized the horses.” Ishizu said. “They have made this trip quite a few times, and have had time to adjust to its presence.”

 _It’s still weird though. I wonder what other Spirits have decided to stay in our world._ None of the spirits in his deck did, though Mahaad and the Magician Girls spent plenty of time in both dimensions. Summoned Skull was common to see during overnight thunderstorms, he really was like a puppy when it came to Yugi’s grandfather.

If Kisara and Gandora weren’t guarding their world, there was little doubt in Yugi’s mind they would stay in the human world. Noah stayed in the human world more than the Spirit Realm.

“There’s the town.” Seto spoke up, looking straight ahead.

Yugi looked too. Just ahead of them was a wall, two guards stood at the entrance to the city. Near the entrance was a small stable, two horses already there were tied up with a water trough in reach and an overhanging providing more than enough shade from the sun.

It was starting to get hot, the trip took most of the morning and he was sure it was nearing noon. The sun was high above them, and Yugi was grateful for the loose clothing helping to keep him cool.

 _At least we remembered sun screen too._ He just hoped it would be enough to keep them from burning. Yugi wasn’t too worried about himself, he always got tan before burning. But according to Mokuba, Seto was the opposite, and it could get bad.

They approached the town and Yugi watched as the guards approached Ishizu. They cast a few glances at him and Seto, and Yugi worried that they would see through them. He sighed in relief when Ishizu nodded for them to get off their horses.

“They can stay in the stable now.” She said. “The town is easy to navigate on foot, my Queen.”

Yugi tensed at the title. “What did you stay to them?” He whispered.

“Simply the truth. That you are a Queen, and that our business here is one based on magic.” Ishizu explained. “The town’s leader knows of Shadow Magic. She is willing to assist us.”

The horses were left with the two guards who treated the animals with care. Yugi smiled as he followed Ishizu and Seto into the town.

It was a small town, the walls surrounding it standing as good shade in the morning and evening. The sun seemed to keep even the merchants under large tents and indoors in the afternoon hours. Curious eyes looked out at them, and Yugi moved closer to Seto.

There was something different about the town, a shimmer that seemed to be just out of eyesight. Every time Yugi tried to look at it, it seemed to disappear. But he could feel it as it kept him on edge.

“Seto…the entire town has magic.” He whispered. It wasn’t just the people in the town, but the town itself, the buildings, the merchandise, everything felt of magic.

“I know. I saw it when we were outside.” Seto replied. “Like a mirage.”

“Do you think the town is even actually _here_?” Yugi asked. “I mean, it’s like it is, but it isn’t.”

It felt almost like the Spirit Realm. But at the same time he knew they were still in their own dimension. The feeling was dizzying.

“Don’t focus on it.” Seto murmured. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

Yugi nodded, focusing instead on Seto’s magic. He let it anchor him, grateful for the familiar feel. There was just something about the town and it’s magic that put him on edge.

 

* * *

 

Egypt wasn’t fun, Zane decided.

Joey said their short tempers were due to jet lag, whatever that was. Still, Zane felt terrible for snapping at Syrus like he had last night. He just felt so tired, but it was impossible to sleep with Syrus arguing with their uncles and Diva. He didn’t mean to make Syrus cry.

Then Jaden had jumped in and after arguing with him, Jaden punched him! It wasn’t a hard punch, it surprised Zane more than it hurt, but that led to Syrus crying more. And everything led up to Zane and Jaden being put in time out for an _hour_. That didn’t really seem fair, his dad only ever put him in time out for no more than thirty minutes.

Not that Zane would know if he stayed there the full hour. Fifteen minutes in he was curled up on the chair asleep. And when he woke up, Syrus was curled up with him, and Kuriboh was there too.

He was glad Syrus didn’t seem upset with him for last night. If he was upset, he would have stayed away from Zane. Waking up to find Syrus asleep next to him was a relief. His little brother didn’t seem in any hurry to be waking up. Zane was too awake to fall back asleep.

 _I hope dad comes back soon._ Zane thought. He didn’t know much about the Millennium Items, just what they had told him, but they seemed dangerous in the wrong hands. He hoped his dad and uncle and aunt didn’t run into any trouble. Even if they did, they could handle it. His dad was the strongest duelist around.

Noise from the kitchen told him there was at least one other person awake. Zane’s magic reached out, realizing it was Ryou. _Or Bakura?_ He wasn’t sure on the differences between the two, or how his uncle was being possessed. He knew it had to do with the Millennium Ring.

Footsteps in the hallway caught his attention. They were small, light, probably Jaden’s.

“It’s too early.” Jaden muttered, rubbing his eyes and climbing into the chair next to Zane’s. The chairs were soft, almost like a bed. It was almost enough to bring Jaden back to sleep.

Zane agreed silently on it being too early. He couldn’t see it, but he was sure the sun was just beginning to rise. That usually happened around six back in Domino, would the same hold true in Egypt? Usually Yugi would let them sleep in past that.

A small whimper from Syrus made both boys look at him. He was still asleep, but he was twitching, his eyes darting around behind closed eyelids. His hands gripped Kitty tighter, and Kuriboh bounced near his head, making a concerned noise.

 _A nightmare?_ Zane wondered. Syrus hadn’t had one in a long time. Not since before they decided to sleep in separate rooms. His brother pressed closer to him, and Zane moved closer too. _Or is it like what dad went through?_

Yugi was like that, twitching and whispering and whimpering about something after the Sacred Beast had attacked them. Nothing had attacked Syrus though. Nothing would try to get past their uncles, or Diva and his Cubic monsters.

“Is he okay?” Jaden asked quietly.

“He will be.” Zane kept his eyes on his little brother, pulling him closer so he wouldn’t fall off the edge of the chair. Eventually he seemed to settle, muttering something and hugging Kitty tightly.

“Maybe it’s ‘cause we’re in a new place.” Jaden reasoned, seeming to reassure himself more than Zane.

The older nodded however. That could be the cause of Syrus’ discomfort. It was the first time they had to deal an entire night without their dad as well. They were used to having him just across a hallway, or in one of their rooms if they were sick.

Silence fell over the three again. Zane rested his head on the arm of the chair, dozing lightly. It really was too early to be awake. Ryou was busying himself in the kitchen, being the only adult awake. If it was time to wake up, surely more people would be up.

“Zane?” He looked over at the other chair, Jaden looking at him. “I’m sorry, for punching you.”

“You punch weaker than Syrus.” Zane replied, sharing a small smile with Jaden.

The other boy stretched. “Do you think it’s gonna be dangerous all the time? While our parents are finding the Items, I mean.”

Zane shrugged. It didn’t seem dangerous so far. The most dangerous thing they had done was climb through the tunnels at the food place.

“I wish Yubel would come back.” Jaden continued. “I bet they could help dad and uncle Yugi. They’re really good at finding stuff!”

It had been a while since Zane heard Jaden talk about Yubel. He wasn’t sure about them, with Yubel having disappeared before Jaden joined them. The seven-year-old seemed close to the Spirit though.

“But if it’s gonna be dangerous, do you think we’ll have to fight?”

“Fight?” Zane echoed. _How would we fight? We’re just kids. And you aren’t even eight yet!_ None were old enough to enter local duel competitions, let alone use their magic for anything more than defensive spells. “We’re too young.”

He was sure he would get grounded if he tried to fight instead of letting his father and uncles handle things.

“What if we have to though?” Jaden sounded serious. “What if our parents need our help? Or…or we get separated?”

Zane hadn’t thought of that. _Getting separated?_ How would that even happen? Jaden had a point though. _What if it does happen?_ If they were separated from their parents, it was a big ‘if’. They could summon someone to help them find their parents again. Maybe Kuriboh, or Winged Kuriboh. Those two were always popping into their world anyway.

But for protection, he could summon Cyber. Chrome and Silver too, and he did have the cards to form them into the Cyber End Dragon if things got to be bad. He could summon Fortress and Overdragon too.

“We’ll protect Sy ourselves then, yeah? Because he’s the youngest.” Jaden looked at Syrus. “We gotta keep him safe.”

Zane looked down at Syrus too. Jaden was right, they had to protect him. _If it wasn’t for Sy…I don’t think I could get along with Jaden. And…I don’t think I would’ve made it to see dad._ Syrus was Zane’s reason for fighting against their father, for summoning Cyber against the man with the gun. If he had been on his own, he didn’t think he would have had the energy to do any of that.

He fought hard to protect Syrus. Zane didn’t remember how things first were after their mother vanished. Thinking back, his earliest memory was of Syrus crying. Zane had been barely three, but he remembered his brother’s whimpers. _I don’t know how I was able to keep him alive. But I did._

Cyber and Phoenix helped, getting what he needed even though they could only get small things. He couldn’t let them attract attention. Most of what they stole was what Syrus needed. Zane never knew what he needed himself, even though Cyber seemed to.

Then Yugi found them, and things got better. _Dad won’t let anything happen to us._ Zane thought.

“We’ll keep Syrus safe.” Zane nodded. Even if something happened and their parents couldn’t help. Zane would protect his brother.

 _I’m the oldest. So I’ll protect Jaden too._ He thought. _If something happens, we’ll be ready._

 

* * *

 

_I didn’t think we would be discovered this easily!_

Yugi looked with wide eyes at the swords pointed in their direction. None of them had any idea the town used _magic_ to tell if someone was disguised.

Six guards surrounded them. Yugi and Seto stood back to back, the CEO ready to summon Kisara if the guards moved closer. Ishizu was speaking rapidly to the two guards with their swords pointed at her.

Along with the six, there was also a tiger. It stood beside one of the younger guards. _She’s hardly older than Zane!_ Yugi thought. But magic surrounded her and the tiger. _Is she…?_

“Tania! Hana! What is going on here?”

The voice caught the six guards’ attentions. Coming down a flight of stairs was a regal looking woman dressed in a long white skirt. A small top left her stomach and arms bare save for golden jewelry that she wore. Her hair was long, reaching past her waist, and she was far tanner than Ishizu.

The young guard looked ready to protest at being stopped. “They’re intruders!” She said, glaring at Yugi. “And magic says they’re _men_. They aren’t allowed here, Lady Iris!”

Iris turned to the other guard she had named. “Hana, is this true?”

Hana, one of the guards in front of Ishizu, nodded. “Yes. Two of them are male. The magic has read them and said as much.”

“Good. Then stand down, they are our guests.”

“ _What_?” Tania looked disbelievingly at Iris. “But the rules state-“

“That men are not allowed in town _unless_ ,” she paused, looking at Tania, “certain circumstances permit them. Look Tania. You know of Miss Ishizu. She helped with your training, did she not?”

Yugi looked at the young guard, his eyes widening. _Wait! I know her! She’s a Spirit!_ An Amazoness Spirit, he could see the glow around her. _Then we were right! The town is a bridge!_

While walking through the town, Yugi had grown more suspicious about it really being in their dimension. He voiced his thoughts to Seto, who had the same suspicions. “There may be places where Magic overlaps dimensions…” He murmured, sending a quick text to Mokuba. “I’ll have him start running scans, see if this is something the Cube caused.”

A bridge, where magic distorted a specific point to exist in two dimensions at the same time. No wonder the Sand Moth was able to stay comfortably in their world. _We’ll have to talk to the others about this._ Maybe Bakura could explain it better.

Tania looked ready to protest more, but Hana silenced her with a sharp glare. “Bass doesn’t trust them!” Tania finally decided to say, waving her hand to the tiger.

“Really?” Iris looked amused. “Bass, do you not like the Pharaoh’s Queen?”

Bass chuffed, walking over to Yugi. All of the guards looked shocked at the mention of the title, Yugi’s eyes were glued on the large tiger that rubbed its head against his hand. It chuffed again. _“Apologies, my Queen.”_ The voice echoed in his head, the tiger using the closeness of touch to pass the message through the small amount of magic it had.

“You knew we were coming.” Seto observed, looking at Iris.

The leader smiled. “I was told by a mutual acquaintance of ours. That the Pharaoh who is truly Queen would come with a Priest and Priestess.”

 _Mutual acquaintance?_ Yugi looked confused. Movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn to see Dark Necrofear standing in the shadow of a pillar, her eyes light with amusement.

“Is it possible to kill the dead? Because this looks like a set up by that damn thief.” Seto growled, seeing the Spirit. “If you knew we were coming, why the _hell_ did we have to wear this?!”

“Because Ishizu didn’t know that I knew.” Iris replied. “Besides, it was a good test of your resourcefulness and abilities was it not, Seto Kaiba?”

She had a point, no matter how much Yugi hated to admit it. It was a good test. _Still…_

“Come! We have much to speak about, and I’m sure you don’t want to waste any more time.” Iris announced. “Hana, Tania, Bass, you will accompany us.”

Tania didn’t seem amused at having to come with them, or the fact that Bass was still rubbing against Yugi’s hand.

 _I can’t expect to befriend every Spirit._ Yugi thought with a sheepish smile. _Especially the younger ones._

The six followed Iris to a side room, sitting at a table in there. At Ishizu’s insistence, Yugi sat right across from Iris. “Nervous? You haven’t been Queen for long it seems.”

“It’s been almost five years actually.” Yugi admitted, his voice giving away his nervousness. “I just rarely have to use the title.” Pharaoh he used, Queen was only ever brought up with the dragons. Joey joked that he put a new twist on the ‘Mother of Dragons’ title from some strange American show.

“No, I don’t see the main parts of Egypt needing a Queen nowadays.” Iris nodded. “Or a Pharaoh for that matter. How Pharaoh Atem was able to give you that title and make it actually stand is nothing short of divine intervention really.”

She smiled again. “Oh! Of course, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Iris. I’m the current leader of this town. And these are two of my best guards, Hana and Tania. Tania may be young, but she’s very skilled. Especially with dueling.”

“She’s a duel spirit, of course she can duel.” Seto muttered, not flinching at Bass snarled at him from Tania’s side.

Yugi sighed. Of all times Seto could choose to be disrespectful, he wished his cousin had waited until they had left with the Item. _The Item…_ “Iris, you said you knew we were coming. So then, is there really a Millennium Item here?”

“Yes.” Iris confirmed. “I was told you would be searching for them. I had a dream, a Priestess told me the Queen would come for his Pharaoh’s treasures.”

“Treasures?” Ishizu asked.

“I believe you are also looking for puzzle pieces made of gold?”

 _She has a piece of the Puzzle!_ Yugi thought excitedly. That would bring their total up to three of the forty-two!

“Tania, go and get the items, please.” Iris instructed.

The young guard seemed less hostile, her gaze more curious than anything as she stood to get the Item and Puzzle piece.

“You have a long journey ahead, my Queen.” Iris looked at Yugi, her green eyes seemed far older than she looked. They held the wisdom of a leader. “Magic is a very tricky thing. You have experience with it, I can see the Shadows are a big part of your life.”

Yugi nodded. “I can feel them here in your town. It’s pretty new to me, seeing it like this outside of a Shadow Game.”

The leader smiled. “Yes. For millenniums, we have lived with an anchor in two dimensions. The desert provides us shelter in your world, in the world I am from. But as your priest said, Tania is from the Spirit’s Keep, Necrofear told me you call it simply the Spirit Realm.”

“We are a mirage in the human dimension. Not many people know of our town now, they believe it an ancient myth, even with so many coming to do trade here.” She laughed lightly. “That works in our favor. I know humans are not the most accepting of things their science or religion cannot explain.”  
  
Yugi smiled, “I know what you mean,” he looked over at Seto. The brunet glared at him.

“There are many towns like my own hidden in remote places of the world. Even in Antarctica. I do not believe your search will take you that far.” Iris said. “But there is much you can learn from the others.”

“Like what those Shadow Beasts are?” Seto asked. “You seemed to know a lot, what do you know of these three?”

His disk was activated, bringing up holograms of the three Sacred Beasts. He managed to get rough ones designed, using what Malik and Ryou had described as well as the pictures and videos that news stations were able to get.

Yugi hoped they never ran into the Beasts again. Just their looks alone would be enough to give Syrus nightmares. And knowing Zane and Jaden, the boys would try to fight them if things got bad.

Iris stared at the holograms. “Yes. We know of them, the Sacred Beasts.”

“You do?” It would be their first chance to hear more about them. Yugi leaned closer. “What do you know? Please, they’ve attacked us before. We need to know about them.”

Hana, the guard had been silent since their meeting began, looked shocked at Yugi. “You were attacked, and _lived_?”

Even Iris looked surprised, and Bass was bristling in shock. “Ra, to be attacked and survive! It has never been heard of! Who was it that attacked you?”

Yugi pointed to one of the Sacred Beasts. “It was this one, he looks like Obelisk the Tormentor.”

“Raviel…” Iris murmured. “The Lord of Phantasms. He has taken many lives, in this dimension and others.”

She stood, walking over to the bookcase in the room. From it, she took a scroll that looked far older than even the desert itself. Iris brought it back over, spreading it out across the table.

“The three Phantom Demons as they’re called as well. There’s Raviel, the one that attacked you.”

Yugi looked at the scroll. On it was a simple drawing of Raviel. It looked much like the stone carving of Obelisk. “You said other dimensions…how many?”

“I know of five connected ones.” Iris said. “The human realm, the Spirit Realm, the Shadow Realm, a realm where the most powerful beasts are kept.”

 _I wonder, was that where X came from?_ Yugi guessed.

“And one other. It is simply known as the Dark World. I believe the three take their strength from these darker dimensions, just as the Sacred Gods take their strength from the three shadow realms.”

“But the other two beasts are Hamon, the Lord of Striking Thunder.” Iris pointed to a drawing of a beast much like Ra. “And Uria, Lord of Searing Flames. Both bring chaos and leave nothing but destruction in their wake.”

Yugi looked at the drawing of Uria. As much as the other two looked like Obelisk and Ra, Uria looked even more like Slifer. _It’s just because I have a close bond with Slifer._ He reasoned. _I’m sure Raviel looks upsetting to Seto._

If the look was upsetting, Seto didn’t show it. He shut off his disk, looking at the scroll. “It mentions a fourth beast.” He said.

Iris closed her eyes, going tense at the mention of a fourth. “Yes. However the conditions for it to appear…they have never been met. Not since the creation of the Gods.”

“No one knows the true story.” She kept speaking, even as Tania returned with a wodden box. “It has been lost in time. One piece of history that can only ever keep from repeating, by being forgotten for good.” Iris looked at Yugi and Seto. “It is said to bring the end of all dimensions should it be released.”

She brushed past Tania on her way to grabbing another scroll. It was smaller than the one Hana was rolling back up. Tania looked slightly concerned at her leader, putting the box on the table. “What use is there in _that_?” She asked. “It’s just a kid’s story! You said mothers tell it to us to keep us from straying away!”

“No, Tania.” Iris shook her head. “This is as real as the Beasts and Gods. Even the Underworld Gods and Goddesses fear it. Not even the darkest of shrouds speak of it without looking over their shoulders in worry.”

She opened the small scroll. There were no pictures on it, just writing. Yugi stared at it, recognizing the script as the same one Mana and Mahaad would write in. They were teaching him it, but he was nowhere near good enough to translate the faded scroll.

Seto looked just as frustrated. He couldn’t read it either, though he knew the language. Ishizu looked curious, having not seen the language before.

“To speak its name is taboo. Only a few know the name. I am one of them.” Iris said. “Eight other leaders know it. We know it only for emergencies.”

“The only rumors we have of what happened, belong to the Great Beasts.”

“Dragons.” Seto murmured.

Iris nodded. “Yes. Not yours, however. Blue Eyes are much too young. The Egyptian Gods, Deep-Eyes, and the two dragons bathed in Darkness however, were ones to help seal it. As were the three Knights.”

 _Timaeus._ It had been a while since they helped the three knights stop Dartz. _Are you really that old?_

There was a twinge in his shoulder that made Yugi smile. _It’s like he’s saying ‘I heard that, squirt’._

The smile dropped as Iris continued. “This beast was pure chaos. It took much magic, and many lives, to stop it. But for the Sacred Beasts to appear again…I fear that seal may be weakening.”

“Is that why they need these?” Tania opened the box. Inside lay the Millennium Scales, and two pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi felt his magic instantly connect to the two pieces, his mind already thinking of where they went in the completed Puzzle.

The Scales were a new factor to all of them. Yugi had no clue how they worked, he wondered if Ishizu or Seto did from their past lives. They had never left their resting place, staying guarded by Shaadi for centuries. _Figures they wouldn’t leave Egypt. I just wish we knew more about them._

Iris looked at the Scales. “Their power has never wavered. The scales that determine the balance of chaos and order. Should either one become too heavy, balance will be lost again. It’s what Shadow Magic exists for in the first place. Shadow is the balance between Light and Dark.” She picked up the Scales, handing them and the Puzzle pieces to Yugi.

“You have a long journey ahead. One full of hardships and danger.” Iris said. “Please, take caution. Especially with the little ones. There is much that will try to harm them, but I know the great Pharaoh’s Queen can protect them.”

Yugi took the Scales and pieces, looking at them. He knew there would be danger, but what Iris said was much like what his grandfather had said. The boys were safest with him, even if it led them headfirst into the danger.

Her words made him worry too. The boys were back in Cairo, were they alright? What if the danger had already begun to find them? He didn’t need to voice his worries, not when there was a touch of fear and urgency coming from Seto. “We should get going. We have what we came for.” Seto said.

Iris smiled. “Do not fret. The children are safe for now, nothing wants to come near those Cubic monsters. But their power is severely limited. They will be fine until you return to them.”

“Seto is right though, we should head back.” Yugi smiled at Iris. “Thank you. For everything.”

“No need, my Queen. Allow Hana to escort you to the oasis, to ensure my Sand Moth leaves you be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. I apologize. But this chapter did NOT want to work out. So I added in some with the kids in the middle and began building up some more key points.
> 
> TOLD YA WE’D SEE MORE GX CHARACTERS. Just…not the ones you thought would show up. Looks like the dimensions have been intertwined for quite a while. And see how many references to GX you can spot.
> 
> Tania’s a bit older than the others. There was no real age for her in GX from what I saw (I mean she’s apparently a tiger…but not here she’s not.) So she’s around 12 right now. Guard training can start as young as 6, and her position in the guard isn’t a large one. She’s more Iris’ apprentice really. Bass is still a kitten too, only around the size of a German Shepherd.
> 
> ONE LAST THING: Ready for a clusterfuck of information clashing? Because guess what. This story counts all religions as TRUE. Meaning all the Gods, Goddesses, Deities, etc. are all real. And 90% of them have cards. HOWEVER, only a few truly have their cards as summoning points. The Egyptian Gods/Goddesses do (with Slifer being Osiris. Obelisk is Set. And Ra is self explanatory.) as to Norse and Greek gods/goddeses, and some gods/goddesses from Japanese lore. They take a more hands on approach to things and inhabit a sixth realm that Iris didn’t include because it cannot be directly interacted with.
> 
> Seto has interacted with it (summoning Obelisk against Diva) as has Yugi (the mark Gandora left on his shoulder) and a few others have too.
> 
> ITEMS SO FAR  
> Items: Necklace, Ring, Cube, Pyramid(destroyed), Scales  
> Puzzle Pieces: 4


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dangerous Games (Of The World and The Way It Makes You Feel Afraid)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO SCHOOL IS A BIT MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. Expect updates to be anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks apart.... BUT I WILL FINISH THIS STORY.
> 
> (Title partially comes from the song Little Pistols) There’s new warnings in the tags. I’m starting this two days before I start my second year of college (which made me cry because damn books are expensive. I had to forego getting one of my books actually).
> 
> But the group is leaving Egypt! Next stop: Berlin! With someone else to help them track down the next Item.
> 
> Warning: Violence. Canon-typical and more. Someone is getting hurt. (Spoiler: It’s not the kids. Not physically anyway.) Description of wounds (It’s easily skippable and you don’t need to read it to follow along with the story)

Yugi looked at the cards in Syrus’ hand. “Try that one.” He smiled.

Syrus nodded. “I play Submarineroid in attack mode!” The younger duelist called out, setting Submarineroid next to Rescueroid on the table.

“That one Jaden! He can’t get past her.” Joey grinned.

“I play Burstinatrix!”

Syrus pouted, leaning back against Yugi. Yugi smiled down at his son. “It’s okay. Look at the field, what can you do next?”

Leaving Egypt had been a rushed affair. Partially because there was an emergency at the museum that required Ishizu and Malik there, partially because if they didn’t leave quickly, Seto was liable to find a way to kill Bakura again.

Yugi wouldn’t be opposed to that, if it wasn’t for the feeling that they would need Bakura’s help at some point. At least the trick with the town had been a harmless one, unless Seto’s wounded pride counted as a casualty. Yugi was just glad to be back with his sons. And they were glad to see him too. It had been the first time they were separated for more than a day. Syrus didn’t handle it too well.

His youngest was sitting on his lap now, concentrating on a duel with Jaden, who was sitting with Joey. They were helping their sons through the duel. They had been flying for about eight hours, after a quick fuel stop. It had been almost a week since they departure from Egypt, following a few small leads in countries nearby. It was better to do that than to go to another far off country and have the boys go through jet lag again.

“They won’t learn with you two telling them every move to make.” Seto commented from his chair nearby. “Vorse Raider, in defense mode.” He set down the card.

Zane was seated across from him, looking from his hand to the field. He drew a card, narrowing his eyes. Seto had Vorse Raider out, and two face down cards in the spell zone. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon.” Zane set down the card. “To get rid of…the left card.” He sighed in relief when Seto discarded it, seeing that it was a trap that would have destroyed his monster if Zane tried to attack. “And I summon Silver.”

“You’ll have to call them Cyber Dragon in official duels.” Seto corrected. “Saying any other name could be seen as cheating.”

Zane nodded. “Cyber Dragon then.” A hiss came from the card. “We have to follow the rules!”

“It’s alright for this duel Zane.” Yugi said. “Just remember, for when you go to the Academy.”

He didn’t miss the way Zane’s eyes lit up at the mention of Duel Academy. All three boys were excited to go, but Jaden and Syrus wouldn’t be able to for a while. Zane would be a third year by the time they could join him. Jaden could join the year after Zane, he would be old enough. But he was adamant about waiting until Syrus was old enough too, and applying together with him.

Seto wasn’t going to give them special treatment, especially with school admission. They were to go through the same things everyone else was, including waiting until they were fifteen. Zane would be a few months shy of fifteen, but as long as applicants would be fifteen before December, they were allowed to apply at fourteen. Syrus would be a day shy of fifteen if the date stayed the same for entrance exams, and Jaden would be almost sixteen when he applied.

The age limit had started at fourteen, but the decision was made to move it up a year for reasons Yugi didn’t understand. The first years who were fourteen didn’t have to leave the school thankfully, it applied to the year after their’s.

He didn’t mind waiting another year. It gave him, Joey, and Seto more time to get the boys accustomed to interactions with others. School had been a disaster when Zane tried it. Yugi hoped helping at the shop would get him to be more social. He wasn’t too worried. The Academy was focused on dueling. All three of the boys would be social if it meant getting to learn more and duel everyday.

Syrus yawned, playing his next card.

“I think it’s almost nap time.” Yugi said, adjusting Syrus’ newly played card. “You can’t put them at an angle Sy. That’s not a play.”

“But then they can defend and attack.” Syrus protested.

Joey chuckled. “No way kiddo. Gotta pick one. Attack or Defense. We can get these two down for a nap after the duel.”

“Right.” Yugi agreed. Syrus going for a nap meant Yugi would have one too. The past week, Syrus hadn’t been able to sleep alone.

“He havin’ trouble again?” Joey asked.

Yugi nodded. It had been about a year since Syrus had trouble sleeping on his own. During that time, Zane had stayed with him most nights unless he went to bed before Syrus. But now his youngest wouldn’t sleep unless he was with Yugi. “I think it’s just stress.” He said. “Zane told me he had a nightmare while we were away.”

They went to a small room on the plane for a nap. There were a few beds in the room, used when flights were longer than usual and they wanted away from the main room. Jaden happily settled down on one of the beds, falling asleep almost instantly. Syrus took a little longer, hugging Kitty tightly and curling up against Yugi’s side.

“It’s alright.” Yugi whispered. “Go to sleep Syrus, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

When Syrus was finally asleep, Joey sat down on the edge of the bed. “Alright. What’s troubling ya Yug’?” He asked. “You’ve been spooked for a while, and it only seemed worse after you came back from that town.”

Yugi sighed. He and Seto agreed to fill Joey in on everything, that included the information on the Sacred Beasts. It had shaken Yugi to find out so much about them, especially how much destruction they could cause. “I’m just worried about Zane and Syrus.” He admitted. If Syrus was already having nightmares, could he handle the rest of the journey?

“I’m worried about Jaden too.” Joey said. “But you and Seto have them covered magically. And you know I can give a good fight if things get physical.” He smiled softly. “Sometimes…I’m a bit jealous you two have magic. But I’m better than both of you when it comes to throwing punches.”

Yugi smiled back. He wished he could help Joey out with magic, he could feel some on his best friend. But he had no clue how to coax it out to become strong enough for Joey to use. Mahaad had been researching that, at the request of Red. “You’re a great fighter Joey. And an even better duelist.” In a Shadow Game, magic wouldn’t matter so long as a person could duel well. Yugi just hoped it would be a while before they saw their first Shadow Game in their hunt for the Items.

He never wanted the boys to see a true Shadow Game, but he knew it was just wishful thinking.

“Why do things always happen in threes?” Yugi asked.

“Because it’s a magical number. Same with seven and two.” Joey replied.

“I mean, three Egyptian Gods, three of us sharing a body,” Marik and Malik counted as body sharing, “three Sacred Beasts, all that stuff about Chaos, Power, and Peace…”

“Maybe that last thing means us.” Joey said. He knew of Yugi’s worries that the last part was talking about their sons. “Seto is powerful, in more ways than one. And I could be considered chaos. You’re very peaceful too.”

“You’re just as peaceful.” Yugi countered. “I could be chaos, considering everything that’s happened.”

“Don’t worry about it yet Yugi.” Joey smiled reassuringly. “Let’s focus on findin’ the Items and Puzzle.”

Yugi nodded with a soft smile. But the worry was still there. He knew that it meant the boys. And there was no doubt that peace referred to Syrus. _But that leaves Chaos and Power to be Zane and Jaden. So…who is Chaos, and who’s Power?_

Syrus whimpered in his sleep, even as Yugi rubbed his back soothingly. “I wish I knew what was causing his nightmares.” Yugi sighed helplessly. He worried over Syrus, it had been a long time since he had nightmares bad enough to happen repeatedly like that.

“Stress Yug’, you said it yourself.” Joey said. “Not to mention Seto said we’d have to go to Russia at some point. That’s where these two are from. Russia and Germany and Japan, right?”

Yugi nodded slowly. “I think there’s more to it than that.” With a trip to Russia, Yugi was more worried about Zane. He had a few memories of their mother, where Syrus had none. Zane was more unpredictable than his brother too.

What was predictable was him coming in with Seto and curling up on Yugi’s other side. “Your sleep schedules have really been messed up.” Yugi commented. “It’s going to take a while to get them back on track.”

Seto sat on the edge of Jaden’s bed, running a hand through his son’s hair as he started to stir to get him to go back to sleep. “We have one more stop to make, then we’re going to Berlin to meet up with Mai and Rafael.”

“Who’s claiming they found a Puzzle piece this time?” Joey asked.

“Raptor and Underwood.”

Yugi and Joey groaned. “Seto, ya gotta know you can’t trust those two with a pet rock, let alone something as important as this.” Joey complained.

“We’re running low on people who know the dangers of the Items and Puzzle.” Seto countered. “Besides, they’re being followed by some of my men to make sure they stick to the job that was given.”

“Still…”

Yugi tuned them out, looking at his sleeping sons. With each piece of the Puzzle found, they grew closer…to what? Atem said to collect the Items, what was he supposed to do with them when they had all seven?

The Scales were resting in a safe on the plane, the best place for them. Yugi watched them one night, seeing how they seemed to move every so often on their own. He didn’t know what it meant, but Iris’ words rang in his head. The balance of Light and Dark, and how the Shadows were a sort of middle ground. Too extreme either way, and you invited madness. He supposed they just had to hope the scales didn’t tip too far.

The Ring was left with Ryou until they would know what the Items were needed for. It was needed for Bakura to stay with him, and Ryou didn’t seem in too big a hurry to get rid of the spirit. He wondered what Malik had to say about that.

 _I wonder which Item we’ll find next._ Yugi thought.

 

* * *

 

“I told you it was fake, idiot!”

“Shut up Weevil, bringing it with was _your_ idea!”

 _How have these two even_ survived _this long?_ Yugi thought, rolling his eyes. He knew Raptor and Underwood would be next to useless. They had found something at least, two somethings. Pieces of the Puzzle that Yugi held tightly. However, they found fakes as well.

“Someone knows we’re looking for the pieces.” Yugi said to Joey. Seto was inside the fast food restaurant with the boys. “They’re planting fakes that look like the real things. They almost feel the same too.”

He had felt the fake pieces. There were three of them, and they were expertly made. There was magic on them, but they still felt different from the real pieces. For one, the fakes were cold, like gold was expected to feel. But the real pieces always felt warm, comforting, to Yugi. Even Joey claimed the real ones were warmer.

Yugi was glad they didn’t have to deal with the other two duelists for too long. Soon enough, Raptor and Underwood were off in their own little world, arguing or something Yugi wanted no part of. He and Joey took the chance to slip away and meet back up with Seto.

Joey grinned, sitting down in the booth with Jaden between him and Seto. “Hey kiddo.” He kissed the top of his son’s head before kissing Seto lightly. “Were they all good while we were gone?”

“Of course.” Seto replied. “You and Yugi better order something if you’re hungry. We’ve already eaten.”

“Couldn’t wait for us to come back?” Joey teased. “And you said I have bad eating habits.”

Yugi smiled. He wasn’t hungry, not that Syrus would let him up if he was. His youngest son was pressed against his side as soon as Yugi sat down, Zane on his other side. _Everyone seems more affectionate now._ It was nice to have a lighter mood hanging over the group.

“I’ll go get dad’s food!” Jaden volunteered. “Zane can come with me!”

“Why do I have to go with?” Zane asked, but didn’t protest as Jaden dragged him out of the booth after getting out from between his parents. He had a few bills in his hand as he pulled his cousin to order the food.

Joey laughed, taking Jaden’s spot and resting his head on Seto’s shoulder. “He’s trying so hard to get Zane to be friendly.” He said.

“Give them time.” Yugi smiled, watching the boys to make sure they didn’t get into trouble. He could feel Jaden’s excited magic twisting and curling, trying to interact with Zane, who held his magic in tightly as he always did in new places.

“You’re so good with kids Seto.” Joey praised. “And you were worried you couldn’t handle bein’ a dad.” He added teasingly.

Seto smiled softly. “Jaden is an amazing kid.” Just from his tone, Yugi could tell how much he loved his son.

He felt like he was intruding, getting to see the softer side of Seto Kaiba. But a look from Joey told him he was fine. His best friend moved impossibly closer to Seto, fitting against his side almost perfectly. “We should start plannin’ the wedding.” Joey said. “For after everythin’s settled.”

There was a unspoken feeling between all three of them. _Should they plan for another person in their wedding party?_ The last time the Puzzle was complete, Seto was proven to be correct, and Atem came back. Was that why they had to gather the pieces again?

“Jaden’s our ring bearer of course.” Seto said.

“Ren and Sy are our flower girl and boy.” Joey grinned across the table at the young child. “We’ll make sure you got your allergy meds so you can be around the flowers.”

“Grandpa already said he can take Syrus out if the wedding’s too long for him to handle.” Yugi added. He would probably only be seven, Yugi didn’t expect him to sit still for the entire wedding. Jaden couldn’t be expected to sit still that long either. “He can take Jaden too if needed.”

Seto nodded. “It probably will be needed near the end. We’re trying to keep the ceremony itself short.” Both had opted for a more Western wedding, in honor of Joey’s background. “And our photographer has worked with kids before, she knows how to take pictures in an efficient and quick manner.”

“What about groomsmen Seto?” Joey poked him in the side. “Gonna do the same as me?”

Yugi looked confused. “Joey decided to not choose a Best Man.” Seto explained. “He wanted both you and Tristan for that, but considering it’s usually only one person in the position, he decided to not have one. I think I’ll do the same.”

“Or, Tris can be my Best Man, and Yug can be yours.” Joey offered. “Because so far you have Mokuba. I got Yugi, Tristan, Duke, Tea, and Mai. You need to either find four other people, or we can move the party around.”

“I have Roland as well.” Seto protested.

“Who’s walking you down the aisle. Like I’m gonna ask Gramps to do for me.” Joey grinned. “We gotta let the parental figures have their moment in our wedding.”

They continued to talk wedding plans even as Jaden and Zane came back over with Joey’s food. The blond passed the extra fries over to Yugi. “You gotta eat something.” He grinned.

Yugi rolled his eyes. “Yes mother.” He took a fry, and a few more after the first one. He hadn’t realized how hungry he really was.

“And you wonder where Zane gets the sass from.” Seto said, looking at Yugi. “He takes after his parent.”

“I’ve never denied that.” Yugi grinned.

“Hurry and finish eating. We have about a four hour flight to Germany.”

The boys looked interested at that. “We’re going to Germany next?” Jaden asked.

“Can we do something fun?” Syrus added. “Georgia is boring!”

Joey laughed. “I’m sure Seto can take you three to get some souvenirs. Seein’ as he’s the only one who knows the language. Unless auntie Mai learned it.”

“I know some.” Yugi protested.

“You know the word for ‘no’. And a few bad words.” Seto pointed out with a smirk.

“No bad words or daddy has to go to time out!” Syrus decided.

Yugi laughed, seeing he was outnumbered on the language argument. “Since Seto had fun in Egypt getting the Scales, he can watch you two in Germany and let me and Joey get the next Item.”

“That means you sit out on the next one.” Joey pointed out. “You don’t need to exhaust yourself.”

There were only four Items left. The Rod, the Key, the Eye, and the completed Puzzle. They could be anywhere though. It took Pegasus over a year just to find the Necklace, Yugi thought that finding so many in such a short time span was just pure luck.

Or it was a sign that danger was coming near again.

He sighed, putting down the fry in his hand. Of course danger was coming near again. The Sacred Beasts, and whoever was controlling them. They could handle the danger, no matter what. If only to protect their children.

 

* * *

 

Yugi caught a quick nap on the ride to Germany. He didn’t know what had him so tired, thankfully the nap seemed to fix whatever it was. _Jet lag must finally be catching me._ He thought.

The three children were excited to be in Germany. “Dad is it true you used to _live_ here?” Jaden asked as Seto carried him off the plane.

“I did, a lot time ago.” Seto replied. “I don’t remember much, I was four when we moved to Russia, Mokuba wasn’t even born yet.”

“Dad, where are babies born from?”

Yugi stifled a laugh. So Seto and Joey were avoiding that question? Yugi had answered as truthfully as possible when Zane asked him that. His horrified look was well worth it.

“Don’t ask me, I’ll tell him the truth.” Yugi smirked when Seto turned to him. “That’s what I did with Zane.”

Zane shuddered, remembering the talk he had with his dad a year prior. “Adults are _weird_.” He declared, grabbing Yugi’s hand as they entered the airport.

It would be their second time going through an actual airport, rather than being taken straight from the runway. An attendant from Kaiba Corps’ German branch was getting their luggage, while they went through security.

 _Not that their security would pick up on anything wrong._ Yugi knew for a fact Seto was carrying more than just his duel disk. But he was using magic to make it appear, even on metal detectors and x-rays, that there was nothing out of the ordinary. It pointed out a major flaw in the technology used by most. _I’m so used to Seto’s machines that can pick up on even a trace amount of magic._

Getting Syrus through security was the biggest trouble they ran into. He didn’t want to go through by himself, but that was how it had to be.

“ _He’s a child. Let him go through with his father._ ” Yugi and Joey had almost forgot that German was Seto’s first language. Thankfully, the security team was very understanding, letting Syrus stay with Yugi for most of the process.

It was a lot of stress, that was eased as soon as the boys saw who was waiting for them near the airport exit. “Auntie Mai!” Jaden grinned, squirming until Joey set him down so he could run over to the blonde woman.

“There’s my favorite nephews!” Mai picked up Jaden, kissing his cheek. “I hope you and your cousins have been behaving!”

Standing next to her was someone Yugi was surprised to see. “Rafael.” Yugi smiled, letting Syrus down to run to the other duelist. “I thought Mai had some help here.”

Rafael picked up Syrus and nodded. “I was the one to see the Item.” He explained. “It’s in the Neues Museum, and they’ve already agreed to hand it over without much fuss.”

Seemed simple enough. It appeared that most people who came to have the Items handed them over quite willingly. Ishizu and Iris handed over the Necklace and Scales easily enough. And Bakura promised the Ring when it was time- Yugi had waited to hear Ryou’s promise of it before accepting. For the museum to be handing it over so easily though, Yugi had to admit, he was a tad suspicious. “What do they want in return?”

“It’s already been arranged.” Rafael said. “Some Atlantean artifacts. Dartz left basically the entire city to the three of us, so giving them a few things is no big deal.”

“Uncle Raf can you tell us about Atlantis?” Syrus asked.

“Later.” Rafael promised. “We should go to the museum first. Then I’ll tell you a few stories.”

Zane looked interested in the stories too, but didn’t say anything until they were walking to limo. “Is it true that Leviathan was a giant fish?”

Joey snorted, trying to hide his laughter. “Don’t say that to Mako.” He snickered.

“The Leviathan was a species of water dragon.” Rafael explained, opening the limo door for Yugi. “And under the influence of orichalcum, it was a very evil dragon.” He sat next to Yugi and boys to continue talking to them. “It was far larger than a fish.”

“Larger than a whale?” Zane asked.

Rafael nodded. “It was almost as large as Slifer the Sky Dragon.”

“You’re really good with them you know.” Mai teased from her seat next to Joey and Jaden. “Never would’ve thought you’d be so good with kids.”

“Well, they’re good kids.”

Yugi had to agree with Mai. Rafael was patient with Zane and Syrus, and they both really like him. Syrus had his attention again, telling Rafael about the duels Yugi helped him with on the plane. And Zane seemed as relaxed around him as he did around Seto and Joey.

“You’re good with Yugi too.” Mai grinned.

Yugi wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Oh! Look, we’re here!” Joey saved him from Mai and Yugi practically leapt out of the limo when it stopped.

The only thing that kept him inside the limo was the people running away from the museum. Instantly, they were all on high alert. Seto pulled Jaden closer to his side as Yugi and Rafael kept Syrus and Zane between them.

“We aren’t gonna find out what’s going on just by sittin’ here.” Joey pointed out. “Let’s go. Because I’m bettin’ whatever they’re running from, isn’t something the cops can handle.”

Joey had a point. “Everyone stay here.” Yugi instructed. “I’ll go with Joey.”

“I’m coming with you.” Rafael said. “If it’s a Duel Spirit in there causing this, you’ll need help.”

Yugi didn’t argue with him as Syrus and Zane were passed to Mai and Seto. Joey pressed his forehead against his fiancé’s , closing his eyes. “Keep ‘em safe.” He murmured.

“You stay safe.” Seto replied, kissing Joey quickly.

“Dad? You’ll come back, right?” Zane asked. Yugi never thought he would see his son look so scared.

“Of course he will.” Rafael replied before Yugi could. “Your dad’s a strong duelist. It will take more than whatever’s in there to stop him.”

Zane seemed reassured at that, relaxing a bit and hugging Syrus as his brother whimpered.

“Don’t go!” Syrus pleaded. “Daddy! Uncle Joey, don’t go!”

“We have to Sy.” Joey said. “I know it’s scary. But we gotta get the Millennium Item.”

Syrus cried, even as Seto picked him up. “Go, he’ll be alright.”

Yugi wasn’t so sure, Syrus seemed so distraught at them leaving, but they _had_ to get that Item. “We’ll be back quick Syrus.” He said before getting out of the limo with Joey and Rafael. He would make it quick, so Syrus wouldn’t be worried. Outside, he could feel what everyone was running from. A dark, heavy magic settled over the area. It was like the Sacred Beasts’ magic. _If we have to face one now…_ No, he couldn’t think of the negatives.

Yugi pushed through the crowd. Whatever was going on, they had to help.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a Sacred Beast inside, but it appeared to be just as dangerous.

“Hand over the Rod to someone who can use it!” The monster roared at a few of the employees. “Let the Dark Summoning Beasts show you how it works, by giving you a free ride to the Shadow Realm!”

“How about we kick your ass instead?” Joey said, catching the thing’s attention. “You want that Rod? You gotta beat us for it!”

The monster seemed to laugh at Joey, raising up to its full height. “This puny human believes he can beat a Dark Summoner?” It growled. “You are nothing compared to me! My Leader sent me to get the Rod. I am one of the strongest in their legion!”

“Your leader? And who would that be?” Rafael questioned.

“Like I would tell you. I do have a message from them however.” It grinned, and Yugi could feel a chill in the air just from it. “Your time is over, brat. As both queen, and pharaoh.”

“Like hell it is.” Joey and Rafael stood protectively in front of Yugi. “You want Yug’, you gotta go through us.”

The monster looked interested at that thought. “Well, that can be arranged…” He tore the Rod out of the employee’s hands. “Go through you…how about I let this thing do that for me!”

“Joey look out!”

Yugi’s eyes widened at the monster threw the Rod, the pointed end heading straight for Joey’s chest. Yugi couldn’t move, couldn’t look away.

His best friend was going to die… the Rod would pierce through him…

He heard it hit Joey, but not in his chest. Joey hissed as the Rod connected with his shoulder, yelping and falling to the ground from the force of Rafael’s shove. It had come a bit too late to completely save him from harm, but it had missed his chest.

Yugi fell backwards, Rafael had pushed him down as well, in the chance that the Rod would still continue through and reach him. He gasped from the impact, but scrambled to get up and over to Joey.

“Fuck.” Joey groaned, holding his shoulder. The Rod had pierced deep, and Joey wasn’t moving his arm. Yugi looked in horror, barely noticing as Rafael pressed his jacket around the wound.

“Hold it there!” Rafael’s sharp tone shook Yugi from the shock that was setting in. He pressed his hands to the jacket, using less pressure as Joey groaned in pain. Yugi’s fear and alarm coated his magic heavily, he knew Seto could feel it, it would draw his cousin out the limo.

_He has to protect the boys!_

“Guardian Eatos! Take care of this thing!” There was enough magic in the museum to bring Rafael’s main monster into their world. The guardian wasted no time in attacking the summoning beast, wiping it out easily as it continued to cackle. Rafael looked at his duel disk. “That thing had no attack points…”

No wonder it had used the Rod as a weapon. But for all its boasting of being one of the strongest…yet it had zero attack points?

“It must have a special ability.” Eatos said. “I will return to report this to the others.” He bowed slightly before disappearing.

Yugi looked worriedly at Joey. The blond had his hand around the Rod, ready to pull it out.

“Don’t do that yet.” Rafael warned, batting Joey and Yugi’s hands away. “You’ll bleed out quicker if it’s removed, not to mention you might tear the wound open more.”

Joey groaned, laying on his side and resting his head on the floor. Yugi moved slowly, lifting Joey’s head to rest in his lap instead. “Thanks Yug’…” Joey said weakly.

“Do any of you speak English?” Rafael questioned the museum workers, getting nods from four of them. “Call an ambulance. And it’s best you don’t talk about what happened here.”

Yugi didn’t even know if they had fully registered what happened. That monster, _it said it was a Dark Summoning Beast?_ Whatever it was, it didn’t look like any monster Yugi had seen before.

“Yugi. Hold these.”

Two warm, gold pieces of the Puzzle were pressed into his hand. Yugi gripped them tightly, letting the sharp edges dig into his palm and keep him centered. Rafael had accepted a bottle of water from one of the employees, moving his jacket and tearing Joey’s shirt to get a better look at the wound.

It was hard to see anything with all the blood. Yugi had to look away, closing his eyes tightly. He felt Joey grab his free hand, squeezing it lightly. Rafael gave no warning before pouring the water onto the wound. Joey hissed, his head pressing against Yugi’s thighs as he squeezed his best friend’s hand. The cold was a painful shock.

“What’s going- Joey!” Yugi looked up, panicking when he heard Seto but relaxing when he noticed Mai and the boys weren’t with him. “What happened?” Seto rushed over, falling to his knees next to Yugi and starting to help Rafael.

“Hey…at least we got the Rod.” Joey gritted his teeth as Rafael cleaned the area around the Rod. Seto took his hand from Yugi, squeezing it. “Monster had it…tried to hit Yugi.” He ground out.

“He tried to hit you in the chest!” The outburst from Yugi was unexpected. “If Rafael hadn’t shoved you out of the way…!”

The shock was giving away to terror and worry. Joey could have _died_ if Rafael hadn’t been there. Images of what could have happened flashed in his mind. Everyone in the same position, but the Rod moved mere inches to the left. Rafael not reacting quick enough to push Joey. The monster throwing just a bit quicker…

The bucket at his side was placed just in time as he got sick. Seto moved Joey carefully to his own lap, and it was his hand on Yugi’s back as his cousin panted. Yugi screwed his eyes shut, swallowing heavily.

Of all the times his friends had been hurt, Yugi had never gotten sick. But all those times…he had Atem to help him through it. As the paramedics arrived, Rafael told Seto what happened in better detail. Not that Yugi needed to hear it.

The monster, a Dark Summoning Beast, had been what everyone was running away from. They came in to find it trying to send the employees guarding the Rod to the Shadow Realm…or worse. Joey caught it’s attention, and it threatened Yugi. Joey and Rafael were protecting Yugi, and it threw the Rod to kill Joey… He was going to be sick again.

A cool hand pressed against his forehead, pulling him back against a strong chest. Yugi leaned gratefully against Rafael as he helped the pharaoh up. He saw Joey being taken out on a stretcher, Seto going with them.

“We should get you to the kids.” Rafael rasped, leading Yugi out and past the police who had started putting up a perimeter to keep the crowds back. The limo was in the same place they had left it and Rafael hurriedly ushered Yugi inside.

“Dad!” Zane was the first to reach Yugi, hugging him tighty. Syrus was next, still crying.

“Zane…Syrus…” _Oh Gods…it could have been them in there…_ Yugi hugged them both tighty.

“Where’s my dads?” Jaden’s small voice made Yugi look up.

 _Oh Gods…how can we tell Jaden that Joey’s hurt?_ Yugi pulled Jaden into the hug as Rafael told the driver to go to the hospital.

“Joey was hurt.” Rafael said gently. “He won’t die, but he needed to go to the hospital.”

Jaden gasped in horror. “Dad’s in the hospital…?” His broken tone brought on more tears from Yugi as he hugged Jaden just as tightly as he did Zane and Syrus.

“Joey’s strong.” Yugi whispered. “He’ll be okay.”

Yugi just hoped he sounded more sure than he felt.

 

* * *

 

The ride to the hospital was tense, and Yugi kept a tight grip on Jaden to keep him from jumping out as soon as they were there. Zane and Syrus both looked concerned for their cousin, helping Yugi keep him still. Mai looked about ready to start pacing herself, only Rafael was calm, but the way he kept his gaze on his bloody hands gave away how shaken he was.

Jaden had been torn between crying into Yugi’s shirt and wailing about wanting his parents. Yugi held him close, unable to do much else. He held Syrus too, who was just as inconsolable. Zane was just as quiet as Rafael, sitting on Syrus’ other side and resting his forehead on his younger brother’s to try and calm him.

At the hospital, Mai took charge. She knew some German, but the nurse at the front desk of the emergency room reassured everyone that she spoke English.

“Joseph Wheeler…Yes, he’s in the OR.” The nurse said. “And you are…?”  
  
“His sister.” Mai said. “And cousin-in-law, nephews, and his son.” She pointed to everyone as she spoke. “And cousin-in-law’s bodyguard.” She nodded to Rafael.

“Right. I’ll tell Mr. Kaiba you’re here, but no one’s allowed in yet.” She directed them to the waiting room. Yugi sat down, Jaden and Syrus on his lap. Zane sat on his right, with Rafael on the child’s other side. The nurse brought over a few sterilized wipes for Rafael’s hands.

Waiting in the waiting room felt like an eternity. Mai really had taken to pacing, until Seto walked in. “Well? How is he? What’s going on?” She demanded, alerting the others to the CEO’s presence.

Seto ignored her, walking over to Yugi and picking up Jaden. He hugged his son tightly as Jaden did the same, crying into Seto’s turtleneck sweater.

“He’s going to be okay.” Seto murmured hoarsely. “His shoulder’s dislocated, and his subscapularis tendon tore. The surgeons are reattaching it and put his shoulder back in place.”

He dropped something to the floor, and Yugi stared at the Millennium Rod. It had caused so much trouble…and it was still causing trouble.

“I knew something bad would happen!” Syrus wailed. “I didn’t want you to go!”

“Syrus?” Yugi looked at the youngest child. “What do you mean?”

“I saw something bad.” Syrus whimpered. “I saw uncle Joey get hurt an’ I was scared…”

Yugi blinked in surprise. _Syrus saw it happen?_ No wonder he didn’t want them to go into the museum… _Is it like how I’ve been seeing things too?_

Seto shook his head, crouching down in front of Syrus and Yugi and keeping Jaden securely in his arms. “No Syrus, Joey had to go, and I bet he’s glad he did.” He said gently.” If he hadn’t gone, Yugi…”

 _The monster would have hit me._ Yugi finished in his mind. _And if Rafael hadn’t gone…_

Seto looked at Rafael, giving him a short nod, which was returned. _Why are you two so weird?_ Yugi thought.

“The doctor said once Joey’s out of surgery, he can have two visitors at a time aside from myself.” Seto said. “And he’ll be able to leave tomorrow.”

Rafael picked up the Millennium Rod carefully, using one of the wipes the nurse gave him to do so. “Where are you keeping these things?” He asked.

“The jet.”

“I’ll go with Rafael to drop it off.” Mai offered. “The kids should see Joey first.”

It was decided Seto would take Jaden and Syrus in to see Joey first after he got out of surgery and woke up. Yugi and Zane would wait until Joey was cleared for more visitors. Mai and Rafael took the Rod back to the jet, and then it was just a waiting game.

Yugi _hated_ the waiting game. It was hell, waiting to see if his best friend was okay. Scared that something would go wrong. He held tightly to Syrus and Zane. Syrus had finally calmed down, working himself up into exhaustion. He was fast asleep, curled up against Yugi’s chest like he was three again. Zane was tucked into his side, his hand holding Syrus’ tightly.

Seto had taken to pacing, bouncing and rocking Jaden as he did. The seven-year-old was in a fitful sleep, clinging to his father. Seto looked just as exhausted as the children did.

“Have you told Mokuba and Serenity?” Yugi asked quietly.

Seto shook his head. “No chance to yet. And…I don’t want to worry them. They’re too young for-“

“Mokuba’s seventeen.” Yugi looked up at Seto. “And Serenity’s a few months shy of seventeen. When we were all seventeen, we were finishing up your Battle City tournament and meeting the three Dragon Knights. Serenity deserves to know what’s happened.”

Seto sighed. Yugi had a point. She was his only blood related family. And they hadn’t been able to talk to her for the past few days because of pre-midterms. Joey wanted her to focus on that, especially since it was her last year.

“I’ll call her.” Seto sat down on Yugi’s free side, and Yugi leaned against him.

The movement was minuscule, but Seto leaned closer to Yugi as well. He made sure Jaden was comfortable before grabbing his cellphone to call his sister-in-law.

It was going to be a long, sleepless night for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Threw in some lighthearted wedding planning there. We needed more Seto/Joey, and some happy before shit hits the fan.
> 
> So their flight plan so far has been all over the place. Started in Japan, went to Egypt. From Egypt, the week I skipped over, they went to Iran, Azerbaijan, Central-Southern Russia, and a quick trip to China before meeting Rex and Weevil in Georgia (the country, not the State.)
> 
> I just had a thought. If you’re having trouble picturing what the Digital Disks look like (the ones Seto, Yugi, and the boys have) think Coils from DRAMAtical Murder, like Aoba’s. You could look it up if you’re not familiar (Google “Dramatical Murder Coils”, and look on the wiki. It has a picture of Aoba’s) but the design is like that, however Digital Disks have an electrical tube that connects to the shoulder component (that looks like the one Seto has) that travels up the user’s arm.  
> In instances where a person uses Transformation (or a card like the ones Valon and Joey use in Season 4 to give them armor) and they have a Digital Disk, the armor forms around the disk, leaving just the center part uncovered.
> 
> GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! I have chapter outlines! This story isn’t going to be as long as I originally thought. It’s only going to be roughly 30 chapters. But they’re all long chapters, about 10-16 pages each. So that’s not bad. But get ready for some HUGE plot twists, ones that left me gasping in shock when I thought them up!
> 
> Items so far: Necklace, Ring, Pyramid (destroyed), Cube, Scales, Rod  
> Puzzle Pieces: 8 of 42


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19: I Return To Find Ruins (In My Head, I Am Still There)
> 
> Gods this is so late I'm so sorry it was just heavy for me to write and school is a bitch.
> 
> WARNING: NO I AM NOT STOPPING THIS STORY. However, the update schedule is going to be hectic. I originally planned for updates every two weeks, but School said "no". THIS STORY WILL NOT BE ABANDONED THOUGH. I love it too much to do that! However updates will be at random. I will try to keep them somewhere between two to three weeks apart, but I cannot promise that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Chapter title from Windswept by Crywolf which fits because shit I’m crying)  
> ALSO POLICE INTERNSHIP PREP WORK. THAT IS WHY THIS IS LATE. And I added more and more on to it to make up for why it’s late. So… basically it’s two chapters in one so I’m technically only a week behind schedule! Hopefully that will clear up soon…
> 
> So I thought about putting another chapter here. One where they go to the states and find a puzzle piece in a pawn shop (because let’s face it that’s SOLID GOLD just one piece is worth quite a lot probably. I just looked it up, an ounce of gold is worth $1,370 USD) But it seemed choppy and awkward and the transition to the next part (the one that is now chapter 19) just didn’t work.
> 
> But in exchange, we’re getting a familiar face back! However… 
> 
> Warnings: Bring tissues. Just buy out Kleenex. You need all the tissues. It’s sad. You thought the beginning was sad? Oh no that’s happy compared to this. (BIG WARNING: I’m making up a few places as I said before. Kekpa, Russia is a real place (though Google may have given me the wrong spelling. If they did and you know the actual spelling, tell me and I will gladly change it.) though from the map, I didn’t see a certain building near it. But I put said building near it.
> 
> Also, I used ~.~.~.~.~ to break up a scene where the POV was changing.

It had been quite a while since Yugi dreamed of Atem. It was a nice change, seeing his husband again. Yugi collapsed into his arms, crying and clutching onto him tightly.

Even if Atem was only a memory, Yugi sniffled and sobbed, only crying harder as Atem held him tightly. They stayed like that for a while. And for a while, Yugi could pretend that it was real. But there were glaring differences. Like the lack of children.

Said children who were sleeping on top of Yugi, Jaden included in the pile as well. Leaving the memory of Atem was hard, but Yugi couldn’t stay in his memories. _I’ll see you again. Probably sooner than we both think._

But first, he had to help Joey. Yugi opened one eye, seeing his best friend struggling to get his arm into the sling. He got up as carefully as he could, Syrus sliding off of his back to lay heavily on his brother as Jaden slid off Yugi’s other side.

“Ah, hey Yug’.” Joey gave a pain filled smile. “I see the kids decided to join ya for a nap.”

Yugi nodded, untying the sling and moving Joey’s arm carefully into place before retying it. “At least they’re sleeping.”

Ever since the fight in the museum, the three had found it hard to sleep. Jaden would have nightmares, and found it impossible to sleep no matter who he was with. Syrus flat out refused to sleep, not wanting to see anything else happen. And if two of the three weren’t sleeping…

Zane was at the bottom of the pile, sleeping more heavily than Syrus and Jaden were.

“Don’t tell them, but I had Seto spike the milk with some melatonin.” Joey admitted. “It’s a trick I’ve used on Serenity before. Maybe the extra melatonin in their systems will help Jaden and Syrus too.”

Yugi hoped so. After Syrus’ outburst of knowing what was going to happen, Yugi hadn’t gotten him to say much else on it. And Zane had no clue too, Syrus hadn’t told him anything. He was worried about Syrus though, if he had seen what happened to Joey…

Well, Yugi had woken up a few times over the past few days just to be sick over the memories of what happened. He was afraid of how Syrus was handling it. But that had been three days ago. Joey had demanded to be released as soon as he woke up, against the doctor’s advice of course.

And since then, he had been sulking whenever the kids weren’t around, or when they were asleep. In front of them, he acted just as he always had. Reassuring Jaden he was alright, reminding Syrus that it wasn’t his fault Joey was hurt, and playing up the events to Zane. But Yugi could see how much his best friend hated being injured so badly. Movement was severely limited in his right arm, and he couldn’t move his shoulder at all. Relying on others wasn’t something Joey did easily, but he had to with an injury like his.

It would have been worse, if it wasn’t for Joey’s incredible reaction to magic and the advanced medical technology Seto had on the plane. When the painkillers didn’t seem to be working, Yugi had taken to pushing magic into the injury. The first time he did it, Joey actually fell from the pleasure of pain relief. Yugi had pushed a bit too much, adding into the magic Joey already had in him. And from that moment, every now and then, Yugi could feel a fifth prodding at his magic. It wasn’t Seto or the boys, the new magic was red, with hints of gold. Joey was having too much fun with his newly opened magic.

After the first time, Joey realized the pain was almost completely gone. But the soreness was still a constant. Seto took care of that with a specialized heater, designed to relax injured cells, according to the CEO. And without any harmful effects, thanks to the magical barrier Seto put up. Joey happily spend most of his second day out of the hospital with the heater. And after that, Yugi set to work trying to coax Joey’s magic into helping him heal quicker. Jaden helped, his magic more than happy to toy with his father’s. Really, he was a distraction, but a welcomed one. Even with magic, the soreness would still be there.

And the pain was too. It would take months for Joey to get anywhere close to being able to move like he could before. Yugi couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“I know that look Yug’. If this ain’t Sy’s fault, it ain’t yours either.” Joey said. “I knew gettin’ hurt was a hazard we’d have to face. And if I didn’t take the Rod, that creepy thing would’a got you in the head.”

Yugi hummed softly. It was the same thing Joey had told him yesterday, and the day before. “Where’s Seto?” He asked.

Joey nodded to the room where the giant table map was. “He’s with Rafael trying to figure out where to go next.”

Mai had stayed behind in Germany, but Rafael had asked to come with them on the hunt for the other items and pieces. With Joey injured, and the kids liking Rafael, Yugi and Seto welcomed the help. It was nice to have someone else with them.

“I think they’re just hidin’ though because Serenity’s gonna be calling soon.”

Yugi wanted to hide when Joey said that. Telling Serenity had been what woke up the boys before Joey was out of surgery. Crowler had been with her for the video call, and while it was hilarious to see the man cowed by Serenity’s snapping, Serenity snapping _was_ terrifying. She almost had everyone convinced to let her take the pre-midterms later so she could come see Joey, but Jaden pleading with her and saying that school was important made her stay at the Academy. She wanted to set a good example after all.

Mokuba had been more rational, reminding everyone that Joey had defied the odds before by surviving that lightning strike. It would take more than a shoulder injury to keep him down.

Tristan was the scariest of them all. He spent two hours yelling at Joey for being reckless. Not even Duke could calm him down, though eventually the dice expert did tear him away from the video call. Yugi knew Tristan felt the same as he did; angry that he couldn’t have helped Joey. He wanted badly to be there with them, but it just wasn’t safe. Yugi didn’t want to put him in danger. He couldn’t put Tristan in danger, not any more than he did. Eventually Tristan agreed it was better to stay in Domino, where he could keep an eye on Solomon.

Duke was also helping Mokuba keep tabs on where everyone was and if they had found anything. He stayed connected to Pegasus, who had more than a few strong words for Yugi and Seto yesterday.

“Of all the reckless, hair-brained, idiotic, ill-planned ideas I have _ever_ heard- what made you think doing all of this with just the three of you and the _children_ was a good idea?!” He had snapped. “I would expect this when you two were younger, maybe during my Duelist Kingdom, but you’ve been parents for _three years_! You would think you would know that bringing them into this is the worst idea! And going with just the three of you? You three aren’t immortal!”

The last time a scolding brought Yugi to tears, he had been ten and tried to go to the market four miles away by himself while his grandfather was sick. Yes, he knew it was dangerous. Yes, he knew the kids were in danger. But as his grandfather had pointed out, they were safest with them. The three of them were the strongest duelists, not to mention their parents. And Yugi wouldn’t want his sons anywhere else but with him.

Pegasus’ tone reminded Yugi of the one he used when scolding Zane and Syrus actually. Like a worried father…at least, what Yugi thought one sounded like. Not that he and Seto had anything to compare it too. It was almost nice to have someone scold them like that.

“I’ll go talk to them.” Yugi said, heading back towards the room. Seto and Rafael were talking quietly inside.

“Yugi.” Seto noticed his cousin walking in. “Good, you need to be here for this.”

Yugi looked puzzled. “Here for what?” He asked, taking the empty seat next to Rafael. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to where the signal is strongest.” Seto said. “But…”

He turned away to move the map on the table, pulling up the area where the magical signal was strongest. It glowed brightly, signs of magic speckled everywhere in a tight cluster. Yugi didn’t see a problem at first, other than it being potentially dangerous. As he looked closer for any landmarks, he figured the spot must be in eastern Russia.

“But?” Yugi asked. “What is it Seto?”

“I looked up the airport where we found the picture of Zane and Syrus at.” Dread began filling Yugi as Seto talked. “It’s…less than twenty miles away. The area itself is near Kekpa. And with this much magic…”

 _It must be where Zane and Syrus were born._ Yugi finished silently. He knew, he knew part of their search would lead them there. _I just wish it hadn’t been so soon, especially after the scare with Joey._

He felt a fierce wave of protectiveness wash over him. Going back there, how would they react? Syrus didn’t speak of remembering much before Yugi adopted them, only that he remembered being adopted and Zane and the Cyber Dragons. But Zane…

Yugi knew they had to go. But he didn’t have to like it. “I have to go talk to them.”

“Yugi-“

“They deserve to know beforehand.” Yugi said sternly. “I’m not going to take them there without warning them.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, getting up and walking briskly from the room. All three boys were starting to wake up when he rejoined them, Syrus rubbing his eye and Zane yawning sleepily. They seemed more peaceful than they had in a few days.

“Zane, come on sweetheart, I have to talk to you and Syrus.” Yugi forced himself to relax, keeping his voice light as he spoke. It was going to be hard to tell them. But he wouldn’t let them go without let them know where they were heading to.

He picked up Syrus, Zane following close behind as Yugi took them to another part of the plane. “What’s going on?” Zane yawned again.

“I need to talk to you both before we get to the next spot Seto wants to check.” Said Yugi. He shut the door behind them, sitting down in one of the seats in the room and letting Zane crawl onto his lap as well. “We’re…going to Russia again.” He told them. “Eastern Russia, where…you two were born.”

Slowly, Zane’s eyes widened as he realized what Yugi was telling him. “We have to go back there?” He asked in a small voice. Yugi could feel his heart breaking, Zane had never sounded so scared. “No…I-I can’t…no…”

“Zane-“ Yugi couldn’t finish speaking before Zane was breaking away from him, running out of the room. “Zane!”

He knew Zane wouldn’t take the news well. Syrus only looked concerned for his brother. He had no memories of Russia, not like Zane did. And he had no memories of any other parent but Yugi. Yugi sighed, maybe he would sit the trip out. Seto knew what to look for, and with Rafael with them, it wasn’t like Seto would be going alone.

He knew what they were doing was important. _Please Atem…you have to understand._ In that instance, his sons were a higher priority than finding the Items and Puzzle pieces. They were always his first priority.

Yugi stood, cradling Syrus close. The youngest child was unnaturally quiet, understanding the heavy mood that had fallen over everyone. “I think your brother really needs you right now Syrus.” He whispered. “Let’s go find him.”

He walked out of the room, Yugi had hoped they would stay in the room to give the boys time to think about the news, Zane seemed to have different ideas. It wasn’t hard to find his son, Joey was looked worriedly at another door, keeping Jaden close with his free hand.

“What’s going on?”

Yugi sighed softly. “Our next stop is eastern Russia.” He looked at his best friend. “And…” He didn’t need to say more.

“Rafael went in after him.” Joey said. “Figured it was okay because….well, he’d be good at talking with him, yeah?”

Rafael had been older when his family was killed. But returning to a place full of memories like that, Yugi had no experience with it. Rafael, Seto, even Joey would be better at helping Zane. Yugi knew that. He could be there to provide comfort, but when it came to talking and being able to relate, he would be lost.

“Daddy? Go get Zane?” Syrus asked.

“Yeah. Let’s go get Zane.”

 

* * *

 

They found Zane curled up in a chair. Rafael was kneeling on the ground in front of him, talking calmly, softly coaxing him out of what Yugi recognized as a panic attack. He set Syrus down, their magic working together to twine around Zane. Yugi hid his shock when he felt magic from Rafael around Zane too.

“-know it’s going to be hard. But sometimes facing the past is the best way to move beyond it.” Yugi caught the end of Rafael’s talk to Zane. “There’s a lot of pain for you in that place.”

“I-I can’t go…I can’t…” Zane shook his head, holding his hands over his ears.

“You can.” Rafael murmured. “It will hurt. But you can go back there. The only thing there to hurt is your memories.”

“Then I don’t want them!”

“No one does.” Rafael said gently. “Everyone has some place they can’t stand to go back to. I’m sure even your dad does.”

Zane sniffled. “The duel site.” He murmured softly.

“Yeah, that would be full of pain for him.”

Yugi felt a stab at his heart at the mere mention of the Ceremonial Duel. But also a wave of protectiveness. It sounded as if Rafael was convincing Zane to go! If the boys didn’t want to go, Yugi would stay behind on the plane with them.

“But sometimes, it’s best to go where the pain hurts the most.” Rafael continued. “To show that you’ve grown past it. That you aren’t who you were before, and won’t be that person ever again.”

“Did you do that?” Zane asked quietly.

Rafael nodded. “I did just that. Once everything with Dartz was resolved, I faced my past. And it’s thanks in part to the Pharaoh and Yugi that I was able to do it without regrets.”

Zane looked thoughtful. “Then…if dad comes with me… I could face my past?” He asked in a small voice.

“I have no doubt that you can.” Rafael said, patting Zane’s back. “Now, how about you tell your dad what’s wrong.”

Yugi knew they were caught as Rafael looked over to him. He put Syrus down, letting him rush over to his brother. The duelist walked over more slowly, kneeling next to Rafael and hugging Zane tightly.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” He whispered. “We can stay on the plane, let the others handle this.”

Zane moved slowly, but was soon hugging Yugi just as tightly. Yugi could feel him shaking, shivering and seeking comfort, which he gladly gave his son. Syrus soon joined in the hug, leaning his head on Zane’s shoulder.

“I…I want to.” Zane whispered. “I _need_ to. I need to see, need to make sure of something.”

“Alright… alright.” Yugi whispered back, kissing Zane’s forehead softly. “Then we’ll go. And I won’t leave you. I swear Zane, I’m not going anywhere.”

 

* * *

 

Landing in Russia was the most nerve-wracking thing Yugi had ever endured. He had stayed far away from the others, shut in a room with Zane and Syrus and comforting them.

“What happened to your parents, dad?” Zane asked quietly.

“I’m not sure.” Yugi admitted. “My father was never around. Mom always said he was away on business, but…” _Why wouldn’t he be around for his own son’s birth?_ “I never met him. And one day… mom disappeared too. Grandpa said my father took her away with him on business.”

“They just left you.” Zane frowned.

“Some people… just aren’t meant to be parents.” Yugi echoed the words his grandfather had told him so many times. “Grandpa raised me just fine on his own.”

 _We should call him after this._ Yugi thought. It would be nice to hear him again.

He carded his hand through Zane’s hair as the plane landed, looking out the window. Nothing seemed off about the landscape. The grass was green, just beginning to brown as Summer ended. The area was hilly, with the small airport being the only thing around for miles it seemed. He could hear Seto talking to someone just outside the door, his Russian as perfect as his Japanese.

Yugi didn’t have a clue as to what was being said. He only recognized his son’s names. The door opened soon after Seto stopped talking. Joey stood in the doorway with Jaden, the boy hurrying over to his friends.

“I told Jay this is where Zane and Syrus were born.” Joey said, adjusting the sling his arm was in. “He sorta figured out the rest for himself.”

Yugi nodded. Jaden was hugging Syrus, saying nothing but keeping his best friend at his side as Yugi and Zane stood up. Zane joined Jaden and Syrus, taking his brother’s free hand and trying not to shake.

“We don’t gotta leave right away.” Joey said gently.

“I have to.” Zane murmured.

“Yeah kiddo. I get it.” Joey murmured, crouching down in front of Zane. “Wanna get it over with like a band-aid. But there’s no way ya can do it if ya shake like a leaf.”

Yugi stood protectively next to Zane. Joey wouldn’t hurt him, but Yugi couldn’t help the helpless feeling he had. What was hurting Zane wasn’t something he could easily protect his son from.

He could just support him through it, and hope the others knew what they were doing. They had gone through things similar before. _I just want the boys happy and safe._

Seto and Rafael were already off the plane, and Zane led the way as they exited the plane too. “We’ll go by van.” Seto murmured softly.

Zane kept his eyes on the van, not looking anywhere else. His hand gripped Syrus’ tightly, Syrus grabbing his hand in the same tight grip. Jaden stayed on Syrus’ other side, looking more protective and focused than anyone had seen him look before.

A flash of what Yugi knew of their futures entered his mind. Of Zane, looking regal and commanding in the Obelisk outfit. Jaden, happy with a touch of protectiveness for his friends. And Syrus, worried but with kind eyes.

They looked every part of Chaos, Power, and Peace. _We may find out just what that means before they even get to the Academy._

Everyone was silent in the van. Yugi sat in the back, Zane and Syrus on either side of him. Joey sat in the middle row with Jaden, looking through his deck. Rafael sat in the front with Seto.

 _There’s no way Joey can duel with his arm in the sling._ Yugi thought. His left arm was fine to hold his duel disk, but he didn’t have the range of motion to draw and set cards down. He tried, only being able to reach the first two slots on the disk before it became painful, and the disk was too bulky for him to move it around so he could reach the others.

But with his new magic, Seto had enough reason to tell Mokuba to start making the reddish-orange disk he had planned. If it was completed before Joey was out of the sling, he could still duel using the interface and voice commands. It also gave Seto ideas to make the disks friendlier for people who were injured or handicapped.

 Yugi stared out the window, though there wasn’t much to see. Hills, trees, the occasional road. They were far away from any towns, cities, even villages. There was nothing. Except for the magic that was growing in power as they grew closer to its source.

Zane gave a small whimper, Yugi almost missed it with how light the sound was, and move closer to Yugi. “I recognize that…” He whispered.

Syrus just looked confused. “I didn’t see that part.”

“What do you mean, Syrus?” Yugi tucked Zane closer to his side and looked at Syrus.

His youngest shuffled around in his seat. “I…I saw uncle Joey get hurt. And this van and even the house but, I didn’t see the magic.”

 _He’s been seeing the future?_ Yugi had a feeling that was happening, but why? Was it because of his magic? Or… _could it be the Necklace?_

“Yugi.” Seto’s soft tone caught his attention. Yugi looked out the windshield and barely held back a gasp.

There was a house, no, it was little more than a burnt shack. Rubble surrounded it, still smoking as if the fire happened recently, but there was no sign of a fire happening for the past few years. Magic was keeping the smoke going, a warning for everyone to stay away, Yugi guessed.

He could feel traces of Syrus and Zane’s magic even from inside the van. Zane hid his face against Yugi’s chest, and Yugi hugged both of his sons tightly. He hummed softly, hoping to soothe them.

When the van stopped, no one moved. Yugi pulled Zane and Syrus even closer, closing his eyes.

“We have to go.” Rafael said, being the first one to open his door and step out. Seto was quick to follow, helping Jaden and Joey out of the van. “Yugi.”

“I know.” Yugi replied quickly. He took a deep breath, unbuckling Zane and Syrus and bringing them out of the van. Thankfully, Seto had parked in a way that the van was blocking their view of the rubble.

                                                                        ~.~.~.~.~

Zane was shaking. He never thought he would have to come back to… _that place_. He didn’t have many memories of it, but the ones he did have, only two were happy.

One was of his mother. He couldn’t see her clearly, but the _magic_ , that was what he remembered. Her magic was so light and happy whenever he felt it brush against him. So _bright_ , just thinking of it made him feel safe.

Then the other happy memory. It was a magic one too, when a third magic joined his and his mother’s. Syrus’ magic. The second he felt it, he knew he would protect Syrus.

His brother’s magic was so much like their mother’s. Almost a copy of it, with it’s own dark and light tones as well.

But those memories were tainted. By _him_. The bastard who hurt their mother, who killed her.

He wished he could detach from those phantom memories. Ones that he got glimpses of, that haunted his visionless nightmares. He wanted to be strong, to stop crying about it, to stop worrying his dad and Syrus. Gods, he wanted so badly to believe that Syrus had no memories of that man. But he knew they were there. Syrus wouldn’t remember this place, but he would remember what happened after.

Zane could still feel the warm, red liquid that man made him clean up in the bathroom of the airport.

Everyone was just standing around though, like they were waiting for him to make the first move towards that place. He wasn’t sure if he could. He felt frozen in place, even with the words of encouragement ringing in his head, even with his dad’s comforting presence next to him.

But it was important. Whatever was in there, they needed to get it. There was magic he didn’t recognize around the house, and magic that felt like the Millennium Items. He had to be strong. Zane could face that place. It was only a place…

“Zane.” Syrus leaned against him, giving more comfort than anyone else.

He had to be strong. For Syrus.

Zane turned towards the rubble, taking a few steps forward. His heart was hammering in his chest, and everything in his mind was telling him to stop, to turn away and refuse to go near.

He had to keep moving. He had to see for himself if Rafael was right.

He could feel the older duelist’s odd magic behind him, walking right next to his dad. They seemed weirdly close. _Does Rafael want to date my dad?_ With the distraction of that thought, he managed to get closer to the shack.

But the magic around it was having a weird effect on him. He felt like he was suffocating, even with Syrus standing next to him and keeping him steady, he felt like he had before.

_“Should’ve killed you too. Worthless bastard. Just like that whore.”_

Zane stopped, shutting his eyes, trying to block out the memory. There was a hiss, and he could almost feel Cyber wrapping around him. _But you didn’t kill me. And you paid for what you did to my mother._

He couldn’t stop walking. Zane walked right past the scattered rubble. Most of it was there because of what led up to that man killing his mother.

“Cyber did this.” Zane started speaking in a soft voice. He didn’t know if he was telling Syrus or his dad about what happened. “Mom summoned him to protect us when that man got violent. He said he was going to kill Syrus.”

“So she lit everything on fire. She got us out and hoped that he would be trapped… he wasn’t.” Zane stopped in the doorway. “He got out somehow. And dragged us to the airport. H-he…”

Zane felt sick remembering it all.

_“Let it be a warning to you, boy. Do what she did, and I’ll make sure the youngest brat watches you die.”_

_“It’s not like you freaks will ever amount to anything. Be doing you and the world a favor. But there’s no fun in that.”_

_“Might as well make you useful. Whores, just like she was.”_

“Zane.” His dad’s soft voice broke him from the memories.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go any farther… Zane shook. So many memories and thoughts raced through his head. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think just _couldn’t_ do it.

Until Yugi was at his side. His hand a comforting weight on his back. Zane could turn around. He could go back to the van and his dad would be there. He could walk in, and Yugi would be by his side.

His mother died, his father was a bastard, but his dad was there. He loved him and supported him, and took care of him and Syrus. His mind started to slow down as he realized there was more than just his dad’s physical presence there. Magic twisted around him, his dad’s and his uncles’ and cousin’s. Syrus’ and Rafael’s. His magic gripped his brother’s like a vice.

“I’ll go in first.” Yugi murmured, kissing the top of his head and walking through the tattered doorway. Everything was out in the open. Nothing seemed to be hidden, unless it was buried under the remains.

The memories were fuzzy, but the magic memory was reminding him where everything was. “We stayed with our mom.” He whispered. “While she was waiting for Syrus, she would always stay with me. And protect me. She protected Syrus.”

 _“My little miracles… never forget that you were loved, that you_ are _loved.”_

He stopped walking, looking around at everything.

“Yugi, the millennium magic is over there.” Seto nodded to a part of the rubble.

“That’s where mom kept us.” Zane was certain that was the right place. “She would hide us there.”

Yugi hugged him tightly, letting Seto and Rafael move things and search for the source of the magic. “You’re doing so well.” Yugi whispered, rubbing his arm. “If you need to leave, just tell me.”

“Found it.” Yugi and Zane looked up as Seto brought out a small wooden chest. It was light colored, with dragons etched into the wood. They were all styled like Cyber Dragon, but had a more natural look to them. There were more than the ones that were in Zane’s deck as well. The clasp holding it shut was gold and silver, and looked to be handmade.

“Zane… was your mother controlling dragons?” Seto asked.

“I think she could.” Zane nodded. “I know she talked about dragons. And talked about Cyber, Chrome, and Silver before I found their cards.”

Rafael cleared off a spot on one of the smoother rocks so Seto could set the chest down. Zane could feel his mother’s magic on the chest. Letting his own magic free, it interacted with his mother’s and the noise of something unlocking reached his ears. The chest’s clasp fell open. Zane and Syrus stared at it in surprise.

Syrus’ magic reached out too, feeling their mother’s magic for the first time really. He wouldn’t remember how it felt before, he was too young. He looked in wonder at the feel though.

To Zane, it was soft, warm, much like their dad’s but with a lighter tone to it. There was comfort in it, and it was tugging him towards the chest.

Yugi moved first though, wanting to keep them safe. He opened the chest, looking inside. There weren’t many things. A small blanket, sky blue in color. Zane recognized it’s look, it was the one his mother always wrapped Syrus in. He had been so tiny, she wanted him to stay warm and safe. Next to it was a stone statue of three dragons, Cyber, Chrome, and Silver, each with wings and what looked to be scales instead of metal.

It was underneath the statue that caught Yugi’s attention. He pulled it out, it was just two pieces of paper. They were drenched in her magic though. Yugi opened one, immediately closing it after glancing at him. “Zane… this one is for you.” He held it out to his oldest son.

Zane took it in shaking hands. The way it was folded… Yugi only folded letters like that.

It was a letter from his mother. For him.

“There’s one for Syrus too.” Yugi sat down, letting Syrus climb on his lap. Zane stayed standing, opening his letter. The writing in it wasn’t English, or even Russian or Japanese. But he knew it. The same language he had seen Kisara write in before Yugi adopted him.

_Zane,_

_My little dragon, I hope this chest survives what I am about to do. As I know you will be safe. You and Syrus inherited my magic. Even if I do not escape, I know the dragons will get you out of here._

_I know even if I do escape though, there is not much time left for me. That man is dangerous, Zane. I hope you find this when you are older, so I do not tell a child to kill their own father, but my grown son. I never wanted to leave you and Syrus with him, but I fear there is no choice for me. No doubt he will make sure I pay for the fire if he survives._

_If you are reading this, then there is no doubt that I am dead. This is in no way your fault, or your brother’s. No matter what is said to you. My brave little one, I pray you hold on. That you and Syrus survive, that you live. Gan says that you will, that soon, you will have the protection of a god. It is his fire that burns around now. You and Syrus are already out of the house. And that man sleeps, not knowing what I have done._

_I love you Zane. Please, remember that. You and Syrus were my lights, the only things to keep me alive for so long. I’ve written your brother a letter too. Make sure he gets it. Brave little dragon, if there is one wish I have become true…_

_Live. Do more than survive Zane. This world has beauty in it, it has magic and wonders, and it is not the only world! Just look to the stars, there are other galaxies and dimensions, wonderful, amazing places! I wish I could have shown you them. But you and your brother are much too small. Why, my Magician thought Syrus was a kitten when he was first born! But he was my baby, just as you were._

_I’ve hidden something else in here-_

The words were smudged, as if someone had tried to change them. Another’s handwriting was in it’s place.

_5 pieces. Zane, make sure the Pharaoh gets them._

The writing seemed rushed, and the ink fresh.

_Remember Zane, I love you and Syrus. That’s why I couldn’t get away. Why… why I had to leave in the end. He will try to kill you and Syrus to punish me. But not this time. Even now, my magic is focused on protecting you two. He will not be allowed to kill you. I will face the wrath of the Hells of the earth before I allow that._

_My time grows short._

_Live, Zane. Don’t give up, no matter what. You can do this. You can survive, you can make it to a point where you and Syrus can live without having to fear him. I love you both so much. I…_

He couldn’t read anymore. It was smudged and scorched, as if she barely had time to put the letter up. Zane couldn’t stop the shaking in his hands, barely registering his own tears as he heard Syrus sobbing.

He looked at the chest. His mother’s magic was still surrounding it, even after so many years. Protecting it from the fire, from anyone but them finding it. And inside…

He walked over to it, forcing his legs to move. It felt like he was walking through deep snow. But inside the chest, just as the letter said, were five pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

Seto grabbed them, noticing what Zane was staring it. “Zane?” He never heard his Uncle’s voice so soft.

“S-she knew she was going to die.” Zane whispered brokenly. “And there was a Magician… and a dragon named ‘Gan’?”

No one had time to think over his words. There was a shift, and everyone was put on edge. Everyone except for Jaden. Zane sniffled quietly, looking at his cousin. He looked hesitant, but excited.

“I know that magic…” Jaden whispered, looking around. “Yubel!”

Yugi looked up from where he was comforting Syrus. “Yubel?” He echoed, reaching out a hand to Zane. Zane took it, clutching the letter in his free hand as Yugi pulled him over. “They’re here?”

Jaden nodded, grinning as he looked more. “Yubel! Where are you? Come meet my dads and my cousins!”

“Jaden, shush.” Seto hushed his son.

For all of Jaden’s excitement, the adults looked more worried than anything else. Joey moved closer to Seto and Jaden, and Rafael stood protectively in front of Yugi. Something was wrong.

“Yug’, ya feel that?” Joey asked.

Zane looked at Yugi as his dad nodded. His duel disk whirled to life, ready to call for Mahaad. “A Dark Summoning Beast.” He said darkly.

“Well, at least my servant made sure you wouldn’t forget him.”

The voice came from just outside the shack’s rubble. Zane peered out from behind Rafael, wanting to hide almost immediately after he did.

Whatever stood there wasn’t human. They looked more… demonic, Zane believed was the right word. He wasn’t sure how to describe them, other than as a them. But one look at Jaden told him what he needed. The… thing, in front of them, was Yubel.

On either side of them stood two of those Summoning Beasts. They looked just how his dad described them. But behind it was what was behind them that Zane guessed caused the confusion on Jaden’s face.

Zane knew the magic behind her. What caught everyone’s attention, even though they could not see them.

Yubel had returned, but behind them stood the three Sacred Beasts. And from their stance and look, Zane could tell they were anything but happy.

“Now, let _my_ game, begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I’m crying now. For everyone who may have been wondering when we were going to get more of Zane and Syrus’ past, here it is! Along with the reappearance of Yubel?
> 
> Also, I said there was some unrequited, one-sided love going on. Hell, I didn’t even know that was gonna be a mini sub-plot until I started adding in said character.
> 
> For those who have stuck around this long. Who have commented and left kudos and bookmarked this story. Thank you so much. When I first started this, I wondered if anyone would like it or if it would just be something no one glanced twice at. I wasn’t expecting it to become anything huge, but it has become bigger than I thought it would. And it’s thanks to all of you.
> 
> As thanks for sticking around even when I take forever to update, here’s a SPOILER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: The title is ‘R.I.P To My Youth (Might Go To Hell and There Ain’t No Stopping)’ The name comes from the song by The Neighborhood called R.I.P To My Youth. This song will appear again. Listen to it and you’ll realize where it’s gonna appear. The next chapter is going to focus heavily on Zane, Syrus, and Jaden, mainly Zane and Jaden. And we’re going to start meeting Spirits that were not released until 5Ds/Zexal/Arc-V. As I said before, I am including in cards that were released AFTER GX. 
> 
> Items so far: Necklace, Ring, Pyramid (destroyed), Cube, Scales, Rod  
> Puzzle Pieces: 13 of 42


	20. UPDATE

Sorry for being away so long, I have quiet the story behind that...

Did you know 32 ounces of soda will completely fry a laptop and destroy all of your files? Well, I learned firsthand how that works out.

I. Lost. EVERYTHING.

BUT! THIS STORY WILL BE FINISHED.

Right now, I'm going to work on a filler chapter that will take the place of this update (that way you miss nothing major if you forget to check back. I'll post the real chapter as chapter 21) this chapter will just be a recap and maybe some extra stuffing mixed in, silly drabbles and such.


	21. Might Go To Hell And There Ain't No Stoppin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER TITLES ARE NOW BEING POSTED AS THE TITLE LIKE I SHOULD'VE BEEN DOING FROM THE BEGINNING.
> 
> I’m sorry this took so long to get out. School started easy, but then my Astronomy class started. And I am not used to online courses.
> 
> But this will never be abandoned! I’m too excited for the sequel to abandon this one. Besides this one is all planned out! I just gotta put that plan into this story. And that starts with this chapter!
> 
> Get ready because this is gonna be one hell of a ride. And the replacement for 20 will be up later.
> 
> As I stated before, I will be using they/them for Yubel. I know dub has Yubel as female, but we’re just going to Nick Fury that. (Plus Yubel looks so cool in the original.) Also, no overly creepy voice. I’m not sure who we’re recasting as Dub Yubel here, but they are NOT going to be doing the creepy horror movie doll voice that they did in the first episode in season 3.  
> Seriously, that “come play with me Jaden” was nightmare fuel.
> 
> WARNING: There’s fighting. And it gets bloody and there is minor/major character “death”. It’s not human though! I’m not killing off the parents or the kids or Rafael.

“Yubel? What are you doing?” Jaden asked, backing up once he realized the danger. Joey moved him back behind him, glaring at Yubel.

Yugi pulled both Syrus and Zane closer to himself, trying to not look at Joey with worry. _Don’t show Yubel who the weakest- physically, right now- is._ He kept his gaze on Yubel, remembering their last meeting.  
  
No, to Yubel, this was their _first_ meeting. He had met them when they were older, sharing a deeper bond with Jaden. The Yubel in front of them was nothing like that. They looked crazed, mad.

_Why?_

He couldn’t ask, not as Yubel tried to attack them.

“Eatos!” Rafael moved quicker than Yugi could, summoning the Guardian to block the Summoning Beast that had moved. His disk activated, Eatos’s card held on one slot. “How about we settle your grief with a proper duel?” He proposed. “There’s no need to risk harm, you wouldn’t want Jaden hurt, would you?”

Yugi thought there was a flash of _something_ in Yubel’s eyes, but they hid it quickly. If anything, Rafael’s words only seem to make them madder.  
  
“You… you took everything from me!”  
  
There was a shocked silence as Yubel finally spoke. _Are they blaming Seto and Joey for adopting Jaden?_ Yugi wondered. But it wasn’t his friends that their eyes were locked on. It was _him_. Yubel stared at him with so much anger and hate.  
  
“What do you mean?” Yugi asked, not quite understanding. He took nothing from Yubel.

The hesitation from everyone gave Yubel the chance to have one of the beasts attack again, barely stopped in time with a quick summoning of a Crystal Dragon from Seto’s disk. The dragon roared, fighting the creature for far longer than it should have been.

Yubel was powering them. Yugi realized that as the Crystal Dragon almost lost before Seto played a spell card to power it up. The dragon finally threw the beast to the ground, banishing it back to wherever it had come from in a blaze of blue flame. Yugi could feel the heat from it, pushing Zane and Syrus further back from it as Joey did the same with Jaden.

The motion had not gone unnoticed. Yubel’s eyes narrowed further.

“I saw you. I saw you with Jaden.” They growled. “You stole him away from me!”

_Saw me? When… they can’t mean-!_

Yugi’s eyes widened. _Yubel saw the duel against Paradox!_ That had to be it. He thought back to the duel. But Yubel then- the future Yubel- seemed so much calmer. More friendly when they and Yugi talked while Atem spoke to Yusei and Jaden. _How did they see that duel?_

“I was there, I saw you and that other brat, you stole Jaden from me!” They roared, the sound echoed by the three Sacred Beasts.

Syrus flinched back with a whimper, Zane immediately moving to shield his younger brother as Yugi summoned Mahaad. The sound was deafening, shaking the earth and whipping up more than just a slight breeze with the force as the three Beasts finally came into view.

“I didn’t!” Yugi denied. “Mahaad, guard Zane and Syrus!” He ordered, looking in slight horror as one of the beasts- Uria, Yugi remembered Iris giving that name to the one that looked like Slifer- began to fire a bright burst of orange flames at them.

Everyone managed to get out of the way, Mahaad grabbing Zane and Syrus as Rafael pulled Yugi to the side. Seto grabbed Jaden as Joey quickly shoved him over.

The only casualty was the Crystal Dragon, who moved in front of Joey to protect him, the flames banishing it with a burst of darkness. Seto flinched, the difference in their attack points hitting him.

“Eatos! Take out that other Summoning Beast!” Rafael commanded. Yubel didn’t move when the beast disappeared with a loud, pain-filled screech.

“Yubel, you were there!” Yugi had to stop them.

“Liar!” They replied, motioning for the next beast, Hamon, to attack. There was no time to move.

Yugi hissed as his shoulder grew painfully hot, the burst that came from Hamon dissipating into nothing as Gandora took a large stance in front of Yugi.

 _So these are the Phantasm Gods._ The large dragon rumbled. _Help is on the way, the Crystal Dragon gave off quite the alarm call._

“They’re bad news. Stay on guard!” Yugi said. “Yubel I’m not lying!”

“Please Yubel, why are you attacking my family?” Jaden wailed. “Come back!”

“No Jaden! I saw your future, and I wasn’t in it.” Yubel growled darkly. “So I’m going to change that future.”

Their eyes didn’t leave Yugi as they continued. “And I’ll hurt you the same way you hurt me!”

The sky began to darken, and Yugi felt the barrier between worlds getting weaker. He tried to not show it, but Yugi was terrified. It wasn’t just the Spirit Realm that he could feel, there were other worlds, and an all too familiar magic.

 _No, if Exodia comes…_ Yugi couldn’t control him. There was no way. He shoved his magic out, reinforcing that barrier. He felt Seto and Rafael’s magic join his once they realized what he was doing.

 _One threat at a time._ Gandora agreed, roaring loudly. _But we’re gonna need backup now until the planned ones can get here!_

“On it!” Yugi’s disk activated fully, glowing a dull pink as two cards appeared in his hand. Over one eye, the headpiece worked to get him any stats it could on Yubel and the Sacred Beasts. It wasn’t much, the few times they had appeared before didn’t give them much to go on, and Pegasus hadn’t created their cards. It gave an estimate of their current attack stats at least.

Each was around 4000. Not too bad, Seto’s Ultimate Dragon could wipe them out, so could Gandora if Yugi pushed the limits of his magic. It would be easier to do with X though, and Yugi summoned him along with Mana.

It wasn’t a normal duel, summoning would work differently, something everyone took advantage of. Mana and Eatos stood side by side, Kisara and Noah soon joining Gandora and X. Surprisingly, Red soon joined them as well, Joey’s dragon curled protectively around him, hissing at Yubel.

 _We can handle this, protect the children!_ Kisara roared, flying up with Noah to try and separate Raviel from the others, white lightning striking the beast in the chest. The attack seemed to have no effect as the beast raised a large hand to swipe at them. Kisara dodged around it, Noah rolling with the blow and grabbing the hand, biting down before firing off another lightning blast.

“Go!” Gandora and Mana were just as quick to begin attacking Uria, their attacks being about as effective as the two Blue Eyes’. Yugi knew his dragon’s proud nature though, if an attack didn’t do much, he would just get more vicious until he did the damage he wanted. X wasn’t one to wait around, except he had his eyes on the wrong target.

The demolition dragon, far more vicious and unpredictable than his brother. Yugi rarely called on him for the sole reason of X not listening. That dragon was locked away in it’s own pocket Realm of the Spirit Realm for a reason. And if Yugi released it any more than he already had, there was no telling how the duel would go.

They were about to find out, as Hamon fired again, knocking Yugi out of his concentration and sending him flying back. He hit the ground hard, breath being forced out of him. Everything seemed to be going black before Yugi realized what was really happening. His vision wasn’t going, it was the light around them that was. It was as if it was being sapped from the entire universe. The feeing of cold steel wrapping around him blocked him from seeing further.

Silver was curled around him, giving him time and shelter to recover. Yugi could feel the other two Cyber Dragons with Zane and Syrus before they both lunged past X, hissing and roaring at Hamon.

They didn’t stand a chance. The younger dragons were knocked away before they could even attack, disappearing in the same darkness that the Crystal Dragon had. Yugi hardly noticed as he looked at X with terror.

X was glowing, a deep, rich red that made the gem spots on it shine brightly. The light _was_ being sapped from the area.

“I don’t think so.” Yubel growled. “Polymerization!”

“What?!” Joey looked surprised, almost tripping over Red as he scrambled to get to Seto and Jaden. “Just what is that creep fusin’?”

“They don’t have any monsters except-“ Rafael paused.

“The Sacred Beasts.” Yugi whispered.

Seto narrowed his eyes. “The fourth beast Iris mentioned, it’s a fusion of the first three!”

Around his neck, Yugi felt the Necklace constrict, almost choking him as it seemed to hurry to push visions into his head. The Rod, tucked away in Seto’s room on the plane, seemed to grow dull and bathed in darkness. The Ring, not where they last left it, Ryou was moving somewhere.

It showed the Cube, which seemed to dull like the Rod, Mokuba watching it carefully. The most worrying of them all came last, the Scales. Seto had explained which side was which, Set’s memories coming up easily.

_“The left is Light.” He tapped one side, showing Yugi the inscription. Yugi was amazed it hadn’t moved when Seto touched it. “The right is Dark. I’m pretty sure that if it had been standing when Zorc attacked, it would’ve fallen to the right from the amount of Darkness everywhere.”_

The Scales hadn’t fallen, but the right side was as low as it could possibly be.

“Armityle the Chaos Phantom, come forth!”

Yugi heard Syrus scream as the area around them seemed to go completely black. “Sy, hold on!” Jaden’s voice was barely audible over the rolling thunder that began to shake the ground with it’s power. And when the lightning hit, the fusion Beast appeared.

Its body looked like Uria’s, with Hamon’s coloring and upper torso. It’s wings, spread out wide, effortlessly tossed Kisara, Noah, and Gandora away from it, slashing Kisara with sharp claws. The Blue Eyes roared in pain, falling to the ground with a loud crash. Noah took a protective stance over her, but the fear in his eyes was clear to everyone.

The Beast’s head was a fusion of Raviel’s and Hamon’s, two mouths opened to give the loudest roar out of any of the dragons, causing everyone to cover their ears. Instead of two hands, on of it’s arms was a long neck, Uria’s head at the end of it. But there was something familiar, Yugi realized, paling and feeling himself grow colder. _It looks like… that dark Cyber Dragon…_

Its tail twisted out behind it, long and sharp at the end with a spiral point. And with that point, it impaled Gandora.

 _Now!_ Gandora roared, lighting up much like X was. Yugi didn’t have a clue what his two Dragons were doing. _Kisara, Noah! We need more power!_

Kisara trilled weakly, a worrying sign. Noah answered with his own soft call, both disappearing into twin balls of light.

 _Seto! We need Chaos and help!_ Noah’s voice echoed in the darkness.

“Right. I use Polymerization, and Chaos Form!” Two cards disappeared from Seto’s hand, Polymerization and another Blue Eyes. “Now, Blue Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, and Blue Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!”

 _Yugi! It’s time you met someone new._ Gandora looked back at him. _We’ll hit this thing with everything we have. Play that card!_

Yugi grabbed the card as it appeared in front of him. It wasn’t digital, rather a physical card. He looked shocked at the monster it contained. There was no way, there had only been two-!

_Play it!_

“I sacrifice Gandora and Gandora-X to special summon Gandora Giga Rays the Dragon of Destruction!” Yugi called out, holding the card high. The two dark dragons disappeared into sinister looking balls, combining and bursting open in a blinding flash of red light.

“Cyber Network!” Yugi heard Zane call out as Silver hissed something to his son. Silver disappeared as a white light surrounded Zane’s disk.

Whatever he did, it seemed to have a large effect as the newest dragon appeared. Larger than Chaos, almost enough to rival Armityle in height, Gandora Giga Rays- _Giga_ , the name rumbled in his head- had more bulk than Gandora, and a longer body style than X. It was darker than both dragons, and the red gems stood out brightly, shining out like Chaos did and bathing the area in a red light.

Able to see again, Yugi hurried over to Zane, Syrus, and Jaden. Syrus was crying, fearful of everything that was happening and clinging tightly to Zane. Jaden looked torn between fear and betrayal.

“Why is Yubel attacking us?” The pain in his voice was clear. “They were my friend, why are they doing this?”

“I don’t know Jaden.” Yugi admitted. _I can’t tell him. Not yet._ “But we’re going to break them out of whatever’s happening.”

Together, all three dragons had high attack. Eatos and Mana had fallen back with Mahaad, guarding everyone. Red hissed again at Armityle, and started the first attack.

“Red Eyes, stop!” Joey called out, the dragon not listening. It sent blast after blast against fusion monster, each one doing next to nothing.

Yugi looked at the beast, willing his disk and headset to work faster on giving the details on it.

When it finally did, he wished he could say it had malfunctioned. The numbers filtering across his vision didn’t change however. They stayed constant. And from the look in Yubel’s eyes, they knew Yugi was beyond scared at that point.

“It’s attack is 10,000!” Yugi called out, making Seto and Rafael look back at him and the children.

“It’s what!?” “How high is it?!” They asked simultaneously.

The warning came too late as Armityle knocked Red out of the sky. The Red Eyes roared loudly, the sound cut off as the head serving as its left hand clamped strong jaws around his neck.

Yugi pulled Syrus and Jaden closer, shielding them from the sight as Zane gasped. Red fell still, taking a while to finally disappear.

“No way…” Joey whispered. “Red Eyes… That thing…”

“I’ve seen enough!” Seto glared at Yubel and Armityle. “There’s always a way to stop these parlor tricks!” He drew a card.

Yugi saw the numbers around Armityle flicker before steadying back at 10,000. _That’s not it’s true strength!_ His eyes widened. Yubel was controlling it’s attack power! Then if they could just break that concentration…

“Stay here, stay low, if we tell you to run, then _run_.” Yugi ordered the boys, getting up and racing out past Seto, who was summoning the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon with his last three Blue Eyes.

“He won’t stay around for long, I tribute my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to summon Blue Eyes Shining Dragon!” The powerful dragon appeared next to his other two dragons, it’s attack skyrocketing with six Blue Eyes, Gandora, X, Crystal Dragon, Blue Eyes Ultimate, and Red in their- technically- graveyards.

Yubel wasn’t looking at the dragon though, Yugi had their attention. _Good!_ “Giga! Attack!”

His target wasn’t Armityle. _Jaden said Yubel was a card, if we can defeat them, they’ll have no other choice but to be in their card!_

Giga caught on to his plan quickly, turning it’s massive head towards Yubel and firing off a crimson blast of fire before anyone could move. Yugi watched it hit them and hoped it was enough power. His eyes drifted up to Armityle, and he frowned.

9,900. It’s attack had barely budged. And as the fire began to die down, Yubel was standing in the middle of it, not looking too impressed at the attack, or injured in any way.

“Uncle Yugi! Yubel can’t take any battle damage!” Jaden yelled out. The familiarity that he used in addressing Yugi just served to make Yubel madder.

They raised one hand, pointing to Yugi. “Armityle, attack!”

No one was close enough to him. Yugi realized his mistake to late. He wanted to distract Yubel, take their attention off of the others. So he separated himself from them.

“Run!” He screamed. “Zane, take Syrus and Jaden and run!” He couldn’t get out of the way, not with the giant beast’s attention on him. _Atem, I messed up._

Armityle was readying an attack, the attacks of the others doing nothing to stop it, not even as Mahaad and Mana joined in. Zane was hurrying to grab Syrus and Jaden, all three boys were crying, yelling something that Yugi couldn’t hear. Seto and Joey were too, Rafael was the only one quiet.

_Atem, I’m sorry._

“Eatos! Now!”

Just as the blast was fired, Yugi’s vision was blocked by pure white feathers. “Rafael no! You’ll take the damage too!” Yugi yelled.

“He won’t, not with this!”

 _What?_ Yugi knew that voice! _Bakura?!_

Lightning lit up the area again, this time revealing something Yugi was more than relieved to see.

One strike hit the blast sent by Armityle, making it disappear into nothing as a long, slender body appeared in front of Eatos and Yugi. Crimson and black, with a sharp spine and claws, Slifer gave a mighty call as it stared down Armityle, giving its own attack that succeeded in making the beast stumble backwards with its large body.

“Slifer!” Eatos moved as Yugi rushed forward to the god, feeling more energized as his shoulder lit up with warmth.

Bakura stood next to Rafael, glaring daggers at Yugi. “And just _what_ made you think that was a good idea?!” He snapped. “I have better things to do than to continue babysitting you!”

Yugi stood up tall. “I don’t need a babysitter.” He answered. “Now, we have to stop that beast!”

Slifer seemed to agree as he wove his way around the others, growling and snarling at Armityle. Just the beast’s presence seemed to make the god angry. Yugi watched him, feeling the connection between them growing stronger again. It had been too long since he felt it, the last time had been during the Ceremonial Duel, where the connection was finally severed completely.

“No. Now my game, is over.” Yubel said calmly. They walked forward, untouchable by any attacks as Armityle recovered. “All of your power, is nothing!”

With a flash of darkness, Yubel banished Shining, Twin Burst, Chaos, and Giga. Getting rid of the dragons as if they were flies. It was a show of incredible power, one that didn’t impress Slifer.

“Your gods are meaningless. What power do they hold over a being more powerful than they are?” With a swipe of their hand, three long gashes appeared on Slifer. Everyone looked in horror as the dragon god fell. He was still standing, but that attack had weakened him.

“No, fighting these insignificant things won’t hurt you. But I know what will.” Yubel almost purred, the sound making Yugi shudder. “Armityle! Now!”

With no defenses to stop the beast, it moved forward, and Yugi felt his body go cold when he realized who the target was.

 

* * *

 

Zane was running the second Yugi said to, trying not to cry. His dad was going to die, that beast was going to kill him!

He kept a tight grip on Syrus’s hand, Jaden on Syrus’s other side. They had to run, to get away from Yubel.

“Why are they doing this?” Jaden sounded so confused, betrayed by his best friend. “They’re going to-“

He was cut off by the appearance of Slifer, all three boys stopping and staring at the god as he appeared, and watching in horror as he fell to one attack. Zane couldn’t look away.

There was nothing they could do. Yubel had just taken down a _god_ , even though Slifer was trying to get back up. He couldn’t move fast enough.

“Armityle! Now!”

Everything felt as if it were freezing around him. Zane couldn’t move, he could feel Syrus trembling beside him, Jaden looking just as scared on his other side. Armityle wasn’t aiming for Slifer.

It was coming after them.

“No!” Joey yelled, but no one could reach them in time. Armityle was too quick.

Syrus and Jaden screamed as the beast picked them up, Zane began struggling immediately.

“Over! Fortress!” He yelled, trying to summon the two Chimeratech. He felt the tug on his magic before it was cut off, the feeling almost choking him. He had to do something! The beast roared, the sound deafening with how close they were.

“You’ll know now. You’ll know how it feels to have something important taken from you!” Zane couldn’t focus as Yubel screeched. His ears were ringing from the roar, and he felt his magic straining to keep him conscious. But summoning Cyber, Chrome, and Silver, using his magic to alter the trap card, it was taking its toll on him.

He gave his magic one more push, trying to twine it with his dad’s. If he could just focus… he could use that Shadow travel and escape…

It was too much, Zane slumped over in unconsciousness. As a darker magic washed over them, Jaden and Syrus did the same.

 

* * *

 

“Let them go!” Yugi ordered. It was Mahaad holding him back that kept Yugi from charging at Yubel himself. Mana and Eatos did instead, trying to attack them with everything they could.

Like previous attempts, they did nothing. The two disappeared with a quick attack from Yubel.

“Slifer!” Yugi yelled. The god was back in the air, but didn’t attack.

 _Little Pharaoh, the little ones would be in danger._ Slifer growled. He couldn’t attack, not if it would harm the children. _We can’t do anything._

 _No._ Yugi stared as Yubel looked triumphant.

“Now, chaos shall rule all realms.” They purred, disappearing in a thick cloud of black smoke. Armityle did the same, taking the children with him.

“Give them back!” The words were empty, there was nothing Seto could do to stop her. Bakura grabbed his collar as Seto tried to stalk forward, intent on going after Yubel. “Let go you damn thief!”

“What, so you can be killed quicker than the dragons were?” Bakura snapped.

Yugi fell to his knees, feeling the tears gathering in his eyes. “No… no, this can’t be happening…”

Zane and Syrus… Yugi promised them they would be safe. He promised they would be okay.

“No…” Yugi sobbed. “Bring them back!”

“Yug’…” Joey walked over, falling down next to him. He winced as the movement jerked at his shoulder, but the tears in his eyes weren’t because of that. “Dammit, Jaden…”

Yugi continued sobbing, even as Rafael hugged him, trying to comfort him. Seto did the same with Joey, his own eyes not too dry.

Bakura was the only one who seemed more angry than sad, growling and snarling and kicking anything that was close to him. One such thing ended up being Slifer’s tail, which the god ignored for now. “Fucking hell! What even was that thing? Both those things! No one said those beasts could do a fusion! And that demonic thing made Zorc feel like a kitten!”

“Yubel.” Joey whispered. “Jaden called them Yubel.”

“That wasn’t how they were supposed to be.” Yugi sounded hoarse already, turning in Rafael’s arms to look at the others. “When I met them, well, Jaden was older. But they weren’t like that.”

“Whatever it was, it’s bad news and you have to do something about it!”

“ _I_ have to get my sons back!” Yugi snapped. “I have to… I can’t… I promised them…”

 _You will_. Slifer rumbled, wrapping his large body around the group. His head rested on the ground in front of Yugi. _We do not interfere unless we are needed or called upon._

Yugi looked at Slifer, watching as the smaller mouth on his head opened, revealing something gleaming inside. “Osiris, please. We need help.” He whispered.

 _Take the piece._ The god stayed still as Yugi climbed up, taking the main piece of the Puzzle from him. _We knew the Shadow Pharaoh would not stay in the Afterlife, and that you were gathering his Puzzle._

_I am too weak to find the other pieces for you, or to take you to that beast. Going now would be your demise. The other pieces are found where they are holding your children hostage. Within the Spirit Realm._

Mahaad’s eyes widened. “They are in our world? We haven’t found any!”

 _They will only react to those who are connected to them._ Yugi relaxed as he felt Slifer’s powerful magic wrap around him, and wasn’t surprised when it wrapped around Seto and Bakura.

When it wrapped around Rafael and Joey, Yugi had to admit he was surprised then. _But it makes sense._ He thought. _Joey is our best friend, and Rafael was the one who forced Atem to face his own darkness._

_You must go. To safe your children, to save all Realms from the chaos that must not be unleashed. The supreme power must stay dormant._

“We’ll find them there? They aren’t… aren’t dead?” Yugi asked. Slifer let him down gently before looking Yugi in the eyes.

_Pharaoh, the balance of Chaos, Power, and Peace still stands. For how long, I do not know. But yes, they are alive. You must bring back the lost Pharaoh once more, and save us all once more._

There was a new determination in the air as Yugi looked at the others.

“Don’t even think about leaving me behind Yug’.” Joey stepped forward first, looking back at Seto too. “Same with you. Yubel took our son, I ain’t staying here and worrying!”

Seto smirked lightly. “I didn’t expect you to. I know once you get an idea in that thick head of yours, nothing can change it.”

Bakura scoffed, looking away from them. “You’ll be glad to know that you aren’t dragging the whimp into this.” He kicked Slifer again, this time getting a growl in response. “This body is my own, for now. So I guess I can go and make sure you don’t get yourselves killed.”

Yugi turned to Rafael, ignoring Bakura’s ramblings as the thief continued to talk. “It’s going to be dangerous. I can’t drag you into this.”

“Good thing you aren’t dragging me then.” Rafael responded. “I chose to come along. What that thing did to the children is unforgivable. And who knows what other tricks it has.”

Yugi felt like crying again. He focused on his disk instead, typing up a letter to his grandfather. _It might be the last one I ever send to him._ He realized, making sure to put everything into the letter.

Seto had called Mokuba, informing him of what was going on.

“Don’t worry big bro!” Mokuba tried to hide his worry. “I’ll tell everyone to stop searching. And… stay safe Seto.”

“I’ll try.” Seto promised. The two said little more before Seto called Serenity for Joey. Mai was with her, and Joey was relieved that his little sister and Mokuba weren’t staying alone.

“I’ll watch them Joseph. But you have to promise not to do anything else stupid! I mean it!” Mai ordered.

Joey was wiping his eyes dry once Seto hung up. “Alright already! We ain’t gonna get any more prepared ta go just by standin’ around. Let’s hurry up!”

Yugi nodded, looking up to Slifer. “We’re ready.” He said.

Slifer roared and, with a blinding flash of light, the group disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Yubel has returned in a big way! As has Bakura, who has no sense of self preservation and likes to kick gods. 
> 
> And now we’re getting into the good part! It’s gonna go a bit quickly, warning you now. This isn’t going to be a 50 chapter thing. Mainly because, well, look at how many beings have been on the search for the Items.
> 
> This really turned out to be a Battle of the Dragons. But hey, I got to introduce a new one! One that I recently found out existed.
> 
> Items so far: Necklace, Ring, Pyramid (destroyed), Cube, Scales, Rod  
> Puzzle Pieces: 14 of 42


	22. It’s your fucking Nightmare (no seriously)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’m terrible. I take an unscheduled hiatus, and everyone comes back to the angst starting up on a drastic shot upward. Let’s see if we can fix that!  
> Who am I kidding, we aren’t fixing anything yet. There’s still a lot to do! Including something else that I’ve had planned for a long time. We aren’t done with the twists and turns.
> 
> Never buy Asus tablets/laptops guys. This thing doesn’t charge unless I make a virgin sacrifice to Seto Kaiba or something… and the charger cord for it didn’t even work to charge my phone, so I have a different charging cord and… yeah, it’s hard to do school work, let alone type this up…

When the light disappeared, the first thing Yugi realized was that he was being hugged, by three different people.

“Yugi, we just heard what happened.” Chocolate spoke first.

“We’re going to help in any way we can.” Kiwi was next.

“I vote we chop up those beasts and turn them into stew.”

The sisters and Yugi all turned their heads to look at Lemon.

“What? They kidnapped the babies!”

Mahaad walked over, saving Yugi from the siblings. Yugi was glad for the chance to finally look around.

What he found surprised him. They were in a small village, not many Spirits were out of the houses save for the Magician Girls and Mahaad. It looked much like the village in Egypt had, the houses structured more for a cooler climate than a desert though.

“Come, we can stay in here.” Mahaad had a hand on Yugi’s back, guiding him towards the largest building in the village. The others followed closely, Joey looking around warily.

“Don’t worry.” Apple gave him a soft smile. “This is our village! We share it with some over spellcasters, but not many. Most prefer to live alone or in smaller groups.”

Yugi walked into the building, surprised at just how… warm it looked. There was no other way to describe it. In the main room, there was a large, deep blue colored rug spread out over a light hardwood floor. Candles floated around, most gathered around windows that allowed light to shine in. A large table sat on the rug, with chairs around it. Three doorways led further into the building.

“This is our main hall.” Mahaad explained. Yugi turned to look at him. The outfit he wore reminded Yugi of his Paladin Oracle design, and of how he looked as Mahado in Egypt. He seemed much more relaxed. “I stay here with Dark,” he nodded to the Dark Magician that Yugi recognized as the one Arcana used against him, “Mana and her sisters, and a few others.”

“Like us.”

Yugi smiled softly when he turned to see who had spoke. Silent Magician walked over, Yugi guessed in her seventh or eighth form. She wore the same red robes, but was without her hat and scepter.

“We all heard what happened, Eatos and Mana are here resting. As are the dragons.” She explained. “It’ll be a few days before they can leave.”

“We don’t have a few days.” Seto sounded tense.

Mahaad shook his head. “You do. It will probably take that long to figure out where Yubel has the children. But we know they brought them here.”

Yugi was just as anxious as Seto sounded. He wanted to find Zane and Syrus, and fast. The separation was causing anxiety in the three parents to skyrocket. He couldn’t even imagine how it must feel for the boys.

“You’re injured too, rest for a little. If their aim is to hurt you, they won’t harm the children while you can’t see.” Silent Magician reasoned. “Come, sit.”

Everyone was coaxed into chairs, drinks set in front of them by another magician. Yugi had to pause as she walked by him. She looked… exactly like Silent Magician.

“This is Silent.” Mahaad introduced. “She is a Silent Magician as well, but newer to our world.”

She just offered a soft smile to the group before standing next to Magic- Yugi’s Silent Magician, who asked she be called that so they weren’t both called Silent- and just watching as the impromptu meeting started.

The more Yugi was around her, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that she reminded him of something. He glanced over to her, taking a few seconds to try and figure it out. She looked just like Magic, but that wasn’t it. Her eyes were different, more gray than Magic’s were.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on it as Seto snapped at Mahaad. “We should be out looking for them, I don’t care what you say!”

“Seto… they’re right for us to rest first.” Joey looked at him, reaching over to squeeze his hand softly.

“Besides, there’s something else that needs done first.”

Mana walked in, a bit stiff in her arms but other than that, seeming to be unharmed. In one hand, she held the golden box that Yugi kept the Puzzle pieces in. “I grabbed this. And the other Items, they’re with Breaker. But Yugi, you should start trying to put it together.”

Yugi took the box, looking inside. The pieces they had collected were all there, and Yugi felt the piece Slifer gave him warm up in his pocket. He took it out, looking over the other thirteen pieces in the box. Yes, there were a few pieces he could tell went together. He grabbed them first piecing them together before setting them aside.

There were three pieces left free, the other ten separated into four different connections. “Fourteen out of forty-two… we have to find the other pieces. That’s how we find the boys.” Yugi murmured softly.

If only he could feel as confident as the words were meant to sound. He turned his head to say something else to Seto, but was interrupted as the door to the outside crashed open.

“I swear on the lives of all of Atlantis if I see that _creature_ again, I will rip its head off with my own claws!” Two others walked in, pausing as they looked at the gathering inside the hall. “…it’s you…!”

 

* * *

 

Pain was the first thing Zane was aware of as he slowly woke up. His head was pounding worse than it had when he had gotten sick a few years ago. His chest felt tight, and there was a weight on it. _Syrus…_ It was his brother, he could tell from the hands tightly gripping his shirt. Had they fallen asleep on the plane again?

 _No._ The floor was cold, and it felt more like stone. Nothing like the carpet on the plane or the bed sheets. It was then that Zane began to remember what happened. They had been attacked, at the place they were born.

 _Yubel… and Armityle..._ They had been _kidnapped._ Syrus and Jaden-

Zane opened his eyes, groaning softly. Just that action alone was almost enough to tire him out again. He was greeted by a mess of teal hair, Syrus was laying on him, curled up and trembling as if he was crying.

“Sy…” His voice was hoarse.

“Zane! Oh thank Ra you are awake! Here, don’t try to speak yet, just drink this.” There was someone else there, Zane didn’t recognize the voice. But he was too weak as a hand helped him sit up, and another hand appeared in his vision with a small bowl in it. There was water in the bowl, which was brought up to his lips for him to drink.

The first thing he noticed was how _pale_ the hand was. Uncle Ryou was pale, but whoever was helping him made his uncle look as if he went tanning regularly.

Zane wondered if Yubel hadn’t actually killed him, and it was a ghost helping him. Except, ghosts didn’t need water.

“There, you should feel better in a little while young master!”

 _Young master?_ That was what Mahaad called his dad sometimes. Curiosity finally getting the best of him, Zane turned his head to look at whoever had been speaking.

Whoever it was, they were a magician. It was clear from the style of dress. A white coat- robe?- that seemed rather tattered with patches of dirt and- Zane hoped that wasn’t blood. His eyes trailed upwards, looking at the stranger’s face. Just as pale as his hand was- he was pretty sure the stranger was male- with blond hair and sharp blue eyes.

“Who are you?” Zane asked softly.

“Oh! Right, no, you wouldn’t remember me… you were so young, and Syrus even younger!” The man rambled on. “I am Cybernetic Magician! Or Magi, it’s simpler. And what your mother called me.”

Zane looked stunned. “M-My mother?” He stuttered, wrapping his arms around Syrus as he began to stir. “Wait… her letter! She mentioned a magician.”

Magi nodded. “Yes! That was me. I must apologize, I tried to help but… well, I was captured early on by that nasty being. They needed magic in order to awaken those phantoms and, well, I wasn’t fast enough.”

Zane was barely listening. Magi was the magician in his mother’s letter, the Spirit in front of him _knew his mother_. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Questions about her, everything about her.

Before he could, he heard shuffling further inside the cage. There was no other way to explain it, it was a cage. With bars and four walls and a moving pile of blankets.

Zane looked at the blankets. They were moving, but it was what was underneath that was moving them. “Jaden. Ae you okay?” Zane asked as Jaden poked his head out from under the blankets.

“I think so.” Jaden frowned. “What happened? Where are we?”

 _He doesn’t remember?_ Zane thought. “Yubel kidnapped us. Using Armityle.”

Jaden narrowed his eyes, thinking about what Zane had said. After a few moments, his eyes widened. “Oh…” He looked back over to Zane. “Is Sy okay?”

Zane’s gaze fell on his little brother, hugging him tightly. “He’s sleeping.” As Zane said that, Syrus began to wake up, whimpering with tears in his eyes.

“Oh dear, Syrus it will be alright. May I, Zane?” Magi held out his hands, offering to hold Syrus. The magician’s magic wrapped around them comfortingly, and Zane nodded, letting him take Syrus.

“There there, you are okay.” Magi smiled softly. “It has been so long since I have seen you. You at how you’ve grown!”

Syrus whimpered, clinging to Magi. “M-Magi?” He asked.

Magi looked as shocked as Zane. “You remember me, little dragon?”

Syrus shook his head. “Saw you.”

“Ah, that little gift your mother gave you has finally appeared.” Magi smiled. “In a time of need, her magic will activate, and give her two sons gifts. They are similar to the Items, but weaker in power due to her being only one soul.” He sounded as if he were reciting the words from memory.

“Well, I am glad to see you again little Syrus. It appears the Pharaoh has been raising you two well. Your mother would greatly approve.”

With his arms free, Zane stretched. He watched Magi carefully as he comforted Syrus, studying the Spirit. He couldn’t remember anything about him, but his mother did mention a magician, and Magi’s magic did feel familiar. It was odd, having someone who was a part of his past so close. And a good part of his past at that. He was handling Syrus perfectly too.

A whimper drew Zane’s attention to Jaden. And the realization that he was laying on a few blankets too. _Odd thing to have in a cell…_ He thought. Jaden was sitting up now, and looked more than miserable. Zane sighed.

Comforting was not something he was used to doing. But he couldn’t just leave his cousin like that. Zane opened up his arms, barely able to stay sitting up as Jaden jumped into the hug. He could hear his cousin begin to cry. _I wish dad was here, he knows what to do about this._  
  
It was then that he noticed something was missing. “Jaden, our duel disk bracelets, they’re gone.”  
  
Jaden rubbed his eyes, noticing the red bracelet wasn’t on his wrist. “Oh no! Do you think that Yubel took them?”

“More than likely.” Magi answered. “You were tossed in here without anything but the clothes on you. And your belts.”

Zane’s hand flew to his deck holder. _That’s weird._ Their disks were gone, but not their cards. _Yubel’s a Spirit, why leave us with our cards?_

“I think… I asked them for our cards. Maybe, I might’ve dreamed it.” Jaden murmured, clinging to Zane still, much to the older’s discomfort.

 _Great, so they listen to Jaden? Like that Spirit couldn’t get weirder._ Zane shook his head.

The sound of a door slamming open made Magi flinch. He tightened his hold on Syrus, Zane getting up with Jaden to see what was going on. It was a Summoning Beast, carrying a tray of what appeared to be bread on it, and a large chunk of raw meat. _Who, or what, is that for?_ Magi moved them away from the bars as the Beast threw the bread and meat in.

“You’re lucky, useless sorcerer. Our Lord agreed to food today. Only because their brat is in here.”

The Beast sounded different from the ones Zane saw with Yubel before. “I thought Beasts didn’t know how to speak.” Yugi did warn Zane that he needed to learn how to control his anger sometimes.

But it was calling Magi useless! And Jaden a brat, but sometimes Zane had to agree with that. More than that though, the thing was scaring Syrus. His brother looked terrified.

“Next time, you can be the meat for that lamed lizard.” It snarled at Zane.

“Rotfang! That is enough. You know our Lord said to not antagonize them. Their plan will only work if they stay docile.” A smaller fiend walked in. Though the Beast towered over it, the smaller one seemed more horrific than it.

It was skeletal, with muscle hidden underneath all the bone. It’s skull appeared to be that of a bull, or maybe water buffalo. “Go now. Lizardtooth was looking for a punching bag. You’ll do.”

Rotfang growled at the fiend, lumbering away. “Quite a welcome you three had. I am Korot, fourth-in-command under our Lord. Now, they gave instructions. Magi? We’ve given you the filthy woman’s offspring, will you comply now?”

Zane took his words exactly as Korot meant them and shoved the meaning off. He was looking to turn them from Magi by making it seem as if capturing them was his idea. _Not a chance_. “Magi stays with us, you can go back to hell!”

“Zane, you swore.” Syrus whimpered.

Korot made a deep, rumbling sound. It took the three children a minute to realize he was laughing. “Oh, we were not told that one of you would be so… defiant.”

There was no time to move as a bolt of magic struck Zane, sending him flying back in the cage. His back hit something hard, leathery, and as he looked at what he hit, he paled. The object was moving, opening one eye as the impact of Zane hitting it woke it up.

Without warning, the large dragon lunged for the bars. Zane watched, terrified that it would attack them. But it landed perfectly around Magi and Jaden, headbutting the bars and snapping its jaws at Korot, who was walking away while keeping up his creepy laugh.

“It’s alright.” Magi murmured, patting the dragon. “I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to wake you, you need to recover more.”

Zane stood up, wincing as he did. It didn’t feel like anything was broken, just sore. He froze when the dragon turned it’s wide head to look at him.

 _‘You, boy. Why do you smell of the Pharaoh’s Vessel?’_ Zane blinked in confusion. Had the dragon spoke?

“It’s telepathy, Zane.” Magi explained as the dragon tuned again to smell Syrus and Jaden. “Oh I hope the Queen was able to tell you about this one! They smell of Queen Yugi because they are his sons, from what I could gain off those guards. And Jaden here is his nephew.”

 _‘Yugi? Queen?’_ The dragon snorted. _‘I knew there was something there. The Pharaoh seemed ready to off himself after losing my descendant’s soul.’_

“Yes, you didn’t feel the magic shift?” Magi questioned. “Zane, I want you to meet one of the Legendary Knights, Timaeus.”

 

* * *

 

“Critias?” Seto looked surprised at the knight who had come in swearing.

“And Hermos!” Joey looked just as surprised. “What are you two doing here?”

“We could ask you the same thing.” Hermos said, walking over and sitting on the table. Critias followed his companion at a slower pace, still growling under his breath. “As for us, we’ve been working with everyone in this realm to stop a few of the creatures that Dartz missed when he purged away the Orichalcos.”

“Except that idiot went and got himself captured.” Critias muttered. “Trying to save that magician and that woman.”

Yugi looked at Critias and Hermos. It was so strange to see them again, he had thought they went to the Afterlife- or whatever their equivalent was. Joey voiced the same thought.

It was Hermos that answered. “Dartz said the Atlantean bloodlines needed protection. Though our cards are destroyed, we’ve been watching.” He nodded towards Rafael before looking at Yugi. “Timaeus wanted to watch you though, the loyal bastard.”

“The three of them showed up one day. Or rather, Kisara dragged them here by their necks.” Mahaad explained. “That was around six months after everything with Atlantis was resolved.”

Critias grimaced. “That woman is a menace, death in a white dress.”

“Ignore him, he’s upset she refuses his advances.” Hermos chuckled. “She is one formidable dragon.”

“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here, and where’s Timaeus?” Yugi asked.

Hermos and Critias both grew quiet at the question. “He was captured.” Critias finally said. “By that dragon demon, Yubel or something. He transformed to try and stop her from attacking Cybernetic Magician and Silent Magician, but they got captured, she escaped though.” He nodded to the quiet Silent, who was standing nearby with Magic.

 _That would explain why she isn’t talking._ Yugi thought. Going up against Yubel was no easy feat, especially if their aim was to capture, or worse.

“So, why are all of you here?” Hermos asked. “Thought things were quiet in your dimension.”

“They were… until Yubel showed up with those Phantom thingies.” Joey growled. “That bastard took the kids! So we gotta find the rest of tha’ Puzzle and get them back!” He jumped up, hissing when his shoulder jerked wrong with the sudden movement.

“ _You_ need to sit down and rest.” Lemon said, glaring at Joey. “We haven’t been able to look you over yet, and with Red injured badly, I’m sure you’re feeling some of that too.”

Joey grumbled, sitting back down and crossing his arms as best he could with the sling on. Yugi understood his frustration, he wanted to go out and find their sons and the rest of the Puzzle. But he knew if he tried, Mahaad would just drag him back in. Or worse, Magic would. Seto didn’t look to be doing any better, but Mahaad’s presence behind his chair kept him seated.

A picture- a memory- flashed in Yugi’s mind. Mahaad and Seto had been in that position before. Planning, waiting, worrying about when Akeifa would next strike.

Yet now, the thief was prowling around. Keeping his distance- and control over Ryou’s body, Yugi noticed. He reached his magic out, relieved when it was Ryou’s that wrapped around him.

“Don’t worry, Queen.” Bakura scoffed, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. “He’s still here. I haven’t locked him out or anything.”

 _So they’re finding a balance, like Atem and I had._ Yugi smiled softly. That was good news. He turned back to Critias and Hermos, seeing them watching him curiously. They were waiting for him to explain things.

“Yubel… they attacked us, claiming we stole Jaden from them.”

“Jaden?” Critias asked, sharing a look with Hermos.

“My son.” Seto narrowed his eyes. “Is there something I should be informed of?”

Critias shook his head. “It’s nothing. We’re probably thinking of someone different. So, a son then?”

“Yeah, our son. And they took him!” Joey grumbled.

“My sons too, Zane and Syrus.” Yugi said softly.

There was the sound of glass shattering that caught everyone’s attention. Yugi turned towards the sound, seeing Silent and Magic on the ground, picking up pieces from a glass pitcher. “Is everything alright?” Mahaad questioned.

“Yes! It just slipped is all.” Magic soothed, smiling at Mahaad. It seemed strained though, not quite sincere. Silent was focused on the pieces of glass, but Yugi didn’t miss the flash of worry and fear in her eyes.

It didn’t escape notice from someone else as well. “If Yubel caught Timaeus as well, then the kids will be alright for now.” Rafael said, looking at the Silent Magician. “They’re easier to protect, and love dragons. No doubt they’ll listen to what he tells him to do.”

“Still, for that beast to be kidnapping children…” Critias growled, sounding much more like his dragon form. “It’s bad enough she cheated Timaeus. But to take children? Even Dartz at his worst didn’t do that!”

Yugi sighed, leaning back in his chair. He knew it was the smartest move, to stay and let everyone heal.

“The Magician had a point.” Bakura grumbled. “If the kids were taken to hurt the Queen, then they won’t be hurt badly unless he’s there to see it. They have nothing Yubel wants, because they’ve already gotten what they want, from the sounds of things.”

 _Jaden._ Yubel just wanted Jaden. And now they had him. Maybe Jaden could make them see sense. Yugi hoped so, then all the worry would be for nothing. If Jaden could reason with them, then maybe Yubel would let everyone go. _But can Jaden reason with Yubel? They seem… different._

When he had met the older Yubel, they seemed so much calmer. A bit overprotective of Jaden, yes, but not so… psychotic about it. Everyone was able to laugh about their scolding when Jaden admitted to taking a lot of risks against Paradox. _And now the timeline’s different. They saw us, and_ that _must be where things deviated! But it doesn’t fully explain how Yubel could be this way._

He looked up, ready to voice his thoughts when he looked between Mahaad and Bakura. _Maybe having them in the same room is not the best idea._ He could feel Mahaad’s magic stretched tight, tense in the air. Bakura seemed to not notice it. _Or is he afraid of it?_ The thief had killed Mahado for the Ring. And now they were working on the same side.

“Three days.” Yugi said softly. “We’ll see how everyone is then. But we can’t just sit around and do nothing. If the other pieces are here, some of us could go look around, see if there are any nearby.” He suggested.

“Slifer said some of us could sense them here. So we can look for them.” It would hopefully calm down tensions as well.

“We’ll start tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who’s ready for pissed off Dragon Warriors? Because Timaeus is ready to rip beings apart even while he’s hurt. And Hermos and Critias are not too happy either.
> 
> On Silent Magician. When I said “seventh or eighth”, I was referring to her level and how she seemed to “grow up” with each level. So seventh or eighth would put her somewhere between Yugi’s age (about 23 if I’m remembering right) and Mahaad’s “age” (about 28)  
> And there are two Silent Magicians! Yugi’s which plays off of “Silent Magician Lv 0” and wears red, and the card “Silent Magician” who wears blue and looks super pretty. This is not the last that we’ll be seeing of her.
> 
> As for Cybernetic Magician, or Magi as he is now named, that is pronounced Ma-jii, like in Magic. Not Maggi. He was almost named Cole, or Bern, or Tenic (which is just moving around the last five letters in Cybernetic)


	23. The News Fucking Scares Me, New World War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Chapter 23, and I lost my notes so we’re flying blind! Well, semi-blind. I know the plots I have set up and ready to go. And so long as I know, we’re all good!
> 
> Speaking of good, we’ve broken 100 comments, 3,000 hits and almost 200 kudos! (from the time of typing this up, which is the day after I posted chapter 22) And that is incredible! I never thought a story of mine could reach numbers like that. Thank you all for coming to read and sticking around!
> 
> Chapter title comes from the song Afterlife by XYLO, who have a LOT of amazing songs that I listen to while writing.
> 
> PLOT TWIST ALERT: Yugi kisses Rafael. There, the surprise has been spoiled. Just skip all of Yugi's parts in this now.

Zane watched Timaeus, seeing how stiffly the dragon moved. His teal scales seemed dull, though there was some shine underneath the dust and grime that seemed to stick to him. It didn’t take long for Zane to figure out just what had surprised Timaeus when Zane had been tossed at him.

The older dragon was missing his right eye. A long, jagged scar was all that was left, marring otherwise smooth scales. Timaeus turned his head, keeping everyone in the sight of his remaining eye. The sharp blue reminded Zane of Seto.

 _Yugi adopted two of you then? What of the last one?_ Zane still wasn’t used to the telepathy, but it didn’t surprise him too much that Timaeus could speak that way. He could feel the powerful magic in the dragon.

“Uncle Seto and Uncle Joey adopted Jaden.” Syrus answered.

_I see._

It had been a few hours- at least Zane _thought_ it was a few hours- since Timaeus first woke up. Already, Syrus had become fast friends with him, leaning on Timaeus’s side and talking to him easily. He seemed the most relaxed around the ancient warrior.

Jaden was distracting himself, arranging the extra blankets he had hid under before into a softer pile, remining Zane of the blanket nests Kisara would sometimes help them make during sleepovers. The blankets looked soft and warm, at least they would have some comfort while being held hostage.

Zane huffed, trying to hide the rumbling in his stomach. He knew what hunger felt like, even though in the past few years Yugi had kept him and Syrus from feeling it. Now though, there was nothing to really help them. He could handle it, it was Syrus that worried him.

But hunger quickly became the last thing on his mind as something slammed into the bars. Syrus screamed before Timaeus muffled the sound with his wing, hiding Syrus away and dragging Jaden over with one quick motion. Outside of the cage was one of the Sacred Beasts, Uria. Magi pulled Zane closer, looking warily at the Beast.

Zane was not scared, or wary. Seeing the Beast, he only felt angry. “What do you want, you overgrown garden snake?” He snapped, glaring at the beast that hurt his dad and brother. He could hear Syrus crying under Timaeus’s wing.

Uria didn’t speak, Zane figured it didn’t know how. It just stayed there, hissing lowly, tormenting them. _If I had my disk, I could beat it and get us out._ Zane narrowed his eyes. There was no way he could get his disk, Yubel probably kept those with them at all times. But maybe… he didn’t need the disk. He had seen Yugi summon without it before. It was just a matter of who he could call on.

Before he could think further on it, a burst of magic sent him an Magi flying back. Timaeus’s quick thinking stopped them from hitting the wall as the dragon stretched out his neck, catching them both. The blow still hurt, knocking the breath out of Zane. He could feel a warm, sticky feeling on his back too.

“Zane! Y-You’re bleeding!” Jaden yelped.

Uria seemed satisfied at that, leaving soon after. Zane didn’t get it. Just what were the Sacred Beasts trying to do?

“Here, let me help.” Magi was helping him sit up then as Zane pulled off his shirt. There was a cut on his left side, and he hissed as Magi touched it. “It’s alright. I have enough magic free to close it.”

 _Enough magic free?_ What did Magi mean?

Zane realized with horror what that meant as he tried to reach out with more of his magic, finding it blocked. “What did they do?!” He snapped, magic reacting violently to finding the block.

“Zane… Zane calm down.” Magi tried to soothe him, healing the cut and trying to calm Zane.

“No! That thing blocked our magic!”

He felt helpless, so used to all of his magic being free. Yugi taught him how to control it, reel it in so he didn’t exhaust himself, but it was _never_ blocked before. He couldn’t handle it being blocked It felt…

It felt like it did when he was younger.

“Get it off!” His magic pushed, ignoring Timaeus’s snapping, Jaden and Syrus crying. Zane’s breath grew erratic as he tried to push the block off. “Get it _off!_ ”

With a final shove, he felt something snap. His magic filled the cell heavily, feeling different from usual. Zane panted, staring with wide eyes at Magi, who was staring back at him. He had no idea what just happened, and could barely focus as Magi started talking.

“-never thought… she never saw this happening. But… yes, it makes sense. With the prophecy…”

 _Prophecy?_ Hadn’t his dad mentioned one before? Something about Chaos, Peace, and… Power.

 _That_ was what his magic felt like. Pure power. It filled the cage, protective and strong. Yet it was unpredictable. Zane knew he couldn’t control it. Not yet. It took most of his focus and energy to bring it back in.

 _I think we may have just found our key to getting out of here alive._ Timaeus tucked in his wings further, keeping Syrus covered and covering Jaden with his other wing. _Come here, Prince. Rest for now._

Timaeus moved over the blankets, making sure Jaden and Syrus were comfortable and leaving room for Zane in the makeshift nest. Zane crawled over, hugging Syrus tightly as his little brother tried to hide his sobs. Just the appearance of the Beast had drove Syrus to tears.

Jaden moved closer to Zane too, finding comfort in just being close to his cousins. Magi sat nearby. “Rest. It’s getting late. I’ll wake you when they bring more food.”

Zane didn’t need to be told twice. Something in him was telling him that rest was the best thing, so that he could try and work with the new flood of magic. _If I can control it… I can beat Yubel and that beast._ He was already thinking of a plan.

He let sleep come quickly. And when the dreams of beating Yubel and making them disappear came, he didn’t flinch away from them.

 

* * *

 

Yugi didn’t realize just how different night would be in the Spirit Realm.

It was almost unnaturally quiet. He sighed, looking up at the-

_Two moons… yeah, we really aren’t in our dimension._

He closed his eyes, glad that there was at least a light breeze. Mahaad told him it was their equivalent of summer, and the night was a bit on the warm side. But up on the balcony of the room he was using it was nice and cool. Yugi opened his eyes, looking at the outfit Mana let him borrow.

It was a light robe, violet in color and it felt like silk. It was a bit big, reaching down to his ankles and hanging off one shoulder slightly. But he liked it. And he was glad to see Mana was alright.

Everyone had been injured in the fight against Yubel. Eatos was missing more than a few feathers, Mana and Mahaad had a few bruises and scratches. It was Red that scared everyone. Death was unknown to the Spirit Realm, but Red had come close to it. His neck covered in teeth marks, Joey had cried over his dragon as he helped clean him up and close the wounds. Kisara hadn’t left the dark dragon’s side either.

Noah stuck close to Seto as soon as he saw his brother. It was more the dragon’s pride that was injured than his form. He complained of soreness in his wings, and the webbing in one of them was torn. But he was alright. Yugi could hear the dragon snoring, Seto’s room was right down the hall from his own.

Gandora and X seemed to be alright. Apple and Kiwi were staying with them as Gandora recovered from a heavy blow to his head. He had told Yugi not to worry, that he would call if anything changed. Yugi touched the mark on his shoulder, it was raised slightly, and still felt hot. He was worried about infection in it, but X managed to tell him it was just being used as an outlet for his magic.

He needed the outlet. Yugi’s magic felt darker than usual, closer to Yami’s than ever. At least with the mark, that darkness was going to healing his dragons. They were feeding off of it, using it to recover. Yugi didn’t have to do anything to help it except heal himself. He touched his side, hissing at the pain that blossomed there. While he was changing, he noticed the large bruise.

“You’d think I’d learn not to be so reckless.” He muttered to himself.

“But then you wouldn’t be you.”

Yugi hummed, not moving as Rafael joined him on the balcony. It was simpler for everyone to share a room, though Bakura had refused, pointing out he already was sharing a room with Ryou. Yugi didn’t mind, he found Rafael’s presence comforting.

The older male didn’t seem to have any injuries, other than a cut on his arm that had been bandaged up already. Everyone had been bandaged up, fed, and sent to bed. Rafael just wanted to keep an eye on Yugi.

“I don’t know about that. I wasn’t reckless as a kid.”

“I find that hard to believe, if Joey’s stories are true.”

Yugi smiled softly, but it didn’t feel sincere. Worry that he had been able to manage before was creeping back. He agreed to take a few days to let everyone heal. And, as twisted the reasons behind it were, Bakura would know Yubel’s actions better than anyone. The children wouldn’t be hurt where he couldn’t see it. They seemed to want him to suffer.

Yubel was winning, Yugi was suffering. _I just want my sons back safely._ He thought, sighing and leaning against Rafael as the taller wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The comfort was nice, though he still worried.

“You should lie down.” Rafael murmured.

“So should you.” Yugi whispered back, looking up at Rafael.

He wouldn’t deny it. There was some attraction between them. Yugi couldn’t pinpoint exactly what and how much, but it was there. It wasn’t the right time or place to talk it out.

There was a pressure in his mind, something- or some _one_ nudging him to talk it out though.

They had history, not the best history, but it was still there. And it was different. Different from how Yugi felt with Joey, different from how he felt with Seto. It was close to how Yugi felt with Atem. The closest he could get to that feeling with anyone else.

It still paled in comparison, but it was there.

 Yugi gave no protest as his back hit the bed, looking up at Rafael. He met the first kisses shyly, testing the waters.

_You can do better than that._

Like Atem was watching, mocking him.

Like it was a game.

“You deserve far better than this.” Yugi murmured between kisses. There was no rush to them, no real heat. No push for them to turn into more.

“I know I can’t keep you.” Rafael replied. “We shouldn’t even be doing this much.”

“I’m as single as a person can get.” His husband was still dead, even though Yugi was certain the end result to their Item search would change that. “Besides, the Pharaoh has a harem. Why shouldn’t I?”

“Are you a Pharaoh, or a Queen?” Rafael kissed him again as Yugi wrapped his arms around his neck. “You don’t even know the answer to that, do you?”

Yugi didn’t reply. He couldn’t, when Rafael was right. He just had to play along for a little while longer, then-

He huffed as Rafael laid on top of him. “I’m not stupid, Yugi. You’re trying to distract me so you can sneak out to find either the rest of the Puzzle or the children on your own.”

 _How did he-?_ Yugi looked shocked at Rafael.

“Running off on your own isn’t just stupid, it’s suicide.” Rafael looked down at him. “You agreed to the three days.”

“Three days is too long.” Yugi sighed, glad when Rafael sat up and let him up. “I promised I’d protect them. I told Zane they were safe with me. And look what happened to that.”

He felt scared, helpless, and knew that it had to be worse for Zane and Syrus. Yugi had trained magic, years of experience of dealing with threats like Yubel. And Yugi had sheltered them from everything. They were learning about magic and everything that would happen around them. But Yugi hadn’t taught them enough to handle something as bad as what was happening.

And Jaden. Yugi felt terrible, but connected to him as well. The boy thought Yubel his friend, only for them to act so irrationally. And unlike Zane and Syrus, he didn’t have a brother to lean on. He was close to Yugi’s sons, but being cousins was a lot different than being brothers.

“Raf, I _have_ to find them. I’m not hurt, it’s already healing.”

“And how will Joey feel if you ran off without him?” Yugi winced at the question. “Exactly. Do you even know where we are? Or where to start looking?”

“I could ask around.” Yugi protested.

Rafael gave him a pointed look. “You can start tomorrow. By asking around here. I have a feeling someone here is hiding more than what they’re telling.”

Yugi blinked. “Who?”

“You haven’t noticed it?”

Had someone been acting odd? Yugi didn’t noticed anything, except… “You mean Silent?”

The other Silent Magician, who truly lived up to the name. While Magic could hold her own in a conversation- the ‘Silent’ part, she said, referred to her spellcasting- Silent was… well, silent. She said nothing, asked nothing, she was truly silent. Rafael did have a point about her, she did act oddly.

Especially when the children were mentioned. That caught Yugi’s attention quick. “I think we should talk to Mahaad first about her.” Yugi said. “Maybe it isn’t odd for her to act like that.”

“Maybe.” Rafael agreed. “But we’ll do it tomorrow. You need to sleep tonight.”

Yugi sighed. “You’re really not going to let me up?”

“If I do, you’ll run off, and probably get yourself killed. And everyone knows how the Pharaoh reacts to that happening.”

“Fine.” Yugi groaned, relaxing against the soft bed.

He would stay still for the night. But in the morning, nothing would be able to keep him still. There was so much going through his mind. Getting the last pieces of the Puzzle, finding the other Items, but nothing mattered more to him than getting his sons and nephew back.

 

* * *

 

Syrus cried out again, shrinking back as the creature hit the bars of the cell.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been. It couldn’t have been more than a day, but more and more terrifying creatures continued to torture them just by showing up. They were scary, looking mean and evil and threatening to eat them or give them to the Beasts to eat.

Zane pressed against his side, glaring at the creature. But his brother stayed silent. In the creature’s hands was a whip, and it proved that it wasn’t afraid to use it when Zane started yelling at it. Syrus looked tearfully at the cut on his brother’s cheek.

“Enough!” Jaden finally lashed out. “That’s enough… please…” He begged.

The creature seemed satisfied with that, throwing something at Jaden before leaving.

Zane scoffed, pulling Syrus closer. “How can you even say ‘please’ to things like that?” He complained.

Syrus reached up, touching the cut on Zane’s cheek. Their magic was blocked for the most part, but Syrus found he could still use a bit of his. Just enough to clean off the cut and heal it somewhat.

“It went away when I did.” Jaden said.

“Because it knows Yubel wants to keep you as a plaything or something.” Zane retorted.

 _Enough._ Timaeus snorted, using his tail to separate Zane and Jaden. _Arguing gets you nowhere. It’s time for lunch._

Lunch, but they hadn’t had breakfast. Syrus was hungry and didn’t complain as Magi opened the package that had been tossed at Jaden. “Meat, bread, and fruit for water.” He announced, rationing everything out. Syrus noticed how Magi took less for himself than what they got.

“Magi?” Syrus sniffled, rubbing his eyes.

Magi looked over with a soft smile. “You three need more than I do.” He said gently, passing some bread and fruit to Syrus. “Eat. Slowly, little master. Eating quickly will hurt your stomach.”

Syrus nodded, biting into the fruit. It tasted odd, like an apple and a pear at the same time. He leaned against Timaeus as the dragon settled down next to him, tearing into the meat. He watched Timaeus tear off four small pieces, holding them carefully before letting out a small breath of flame, quickly cooking the meat.

 _You all need to keep your strength up._ Timaeus rumbled, passing out the cooked meat after shaking it gently to cool it. _We won’t be here much longer._

“No… I do not think we will.” Magi agreed, taking his piece. “But we will still be here for a while, until we have a plan.”

“I have one.” Zane muttered, slipping some of his fruit to Syrus. Syrus tore off some of his bread, passing it to Zane.

It was a habit the two of them had, trading and sharing meals. Their dad always thought it to be something cute, and sometimes they traded and shared with him too. Syrus looked down at the meat in his hands, trying to keep the tears away.

 _I… I just want to go home._ He thought.

Zane glared at the bars of the cell. “I’ve seen dad do it before. He can summon without using his disk. And I have my cards. Dad called them keys once, but we don’t need to open a portal here, do we?” He looked at Magi and Timaeus. “We’re in the Spirit Realm.”

“We are, young master.” Magi agreed.

“Then they aren’t portals, they’re calling signals. Tracking devices.”

“Like what papa has on us!” Jaden’s eyes lit up as he realized what Zane was getting at.

Zane nodded. “Except those won’t work here, they’re in our disks. But our cards…”

“The Spirits can track us from the call of them!” Jaden jumped up. “And if we pick the right ones to try and summon-“

“We can beat Yubel.” Syrus whispered. “But… none of us have cards that can beat that… that thing. It has 10,000 attack most of the time.”

It seemed useless. There was no way they could beat Yubel with what they had. Syrus thought about his own deck, and Jaden’s. None of their monsters could get over 4,000 attack points at most.

“You’re wrong, Sy.” Zane reached into his deck holder, pulling out two cards. “There’s two Spirits that can beat it.”

Syrus gasped. “You mean… Fortress and Overdragon?”

Zane nodded again. “Fortress would have an easier time. Eleven monsters, that’ll take her to 11,000.”

“But they gotta be machines, right?” Jaden questioned.

“Right. That’s why, if it comes to an actual duel, me and Sy have to fight Yubel together.”

Syrus didn’t like the sound of that. He loved to duel, but he was nowhere as good as Zane and Jaden were.

But if it was their only option…

“We have time.” Magi interrupted quietly. “Nothing will happen just yet. For now, rest. Heal up, and we can train your magic for a summon like that.”

Syrus wasn’t entirely sure if they could ever manage a summon like that. He had to believe it could work though.

He had to believe that they could still find a way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rafael/Yugi is a ship with nothing in the fandom that I can find. Hell, even Rafael has next to nothing! Can we get that boy some love? Please? I will love you forever if you write even a tiny Rafael/Yugi thing. I will like it and bookmark it and comment on it and mention it in the notes for this. Because I am now ship captain. So I will support this ship and keep it floating and you can pry it from my cold dead hands.
> 
> That being said... RAFAEL/YUGI IS NOT A MAIN SHIP FOR THIS STORY. Look at the pairings that are tagged. Those are the main ones. Yugi, SPOILER ALERT, is trying to revive his dead HUSBAND. So who do you think Yugi will be with, knowing that fact? Rafael/Yugi is a one time thing. Not happening again.
> 
> Edit: I thought long and hard about this. And you know what? I decided something. I'm not putting a spoiler warning about Rafael/Yugi. Did JK Rowling warn when Cho was going to kiss Harry? When Ron and Hermione were going to kiss? Was there a warning on Yuri On Ice about Yuri and Victor kissing? It's a plot twist. I'm not going to spoil it just because some people don't like it.
> 
> On Zane’s sudden magic power-up: Just because he has it, doesn’t mean he knows how to use it. I’m sorta basing this on the concept of a magical inheritance, commonly found in Harry Potter fanfiction. Think of it as Zane’s happening suddenly and early in response to trauma. He has it, but he can’t control it.


	24. This could be Heaven or this could be Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RAFAEL/YUGI WON’T APPEAR AGAIN AFTER THIS CHAPTER. IT MIGHT BE MENTIONED, BUT IT WON’T HAPPEN. PAY ATTENTION TO THE TAGGED PAIRINGS. THOSE THREE PARINGS ARE THE MAIN PAIRINGS. ANY OTHERS ARE EITHER SUBJECTED TO CHANGE, OR ONE-OFF THINGS.
> 
> Tbh this is late because mental health is a bitch and the feedback for the last chapter was… well some of it was more negative than I expected. Like I know it’s a rarepairing but… wow.
> 
> Oh well though. My story, I’ll write it how I want. I don’t care. Pay attention to the tagged pairings like I said.
> 
> 24! Now things are going to get even more interesting. Who’s ready for a plot twist? 
> 
> Because boy are we getting into the thick of things. This is the twist that popped up as an idea a while ago, and I wanted to add it in for so long. And now we can get into the fun.
> 
> And by fun, of course I mean pain.
> 
> Need a song for this chapter? Hotel California! Both the original and the cover by Madilyn Bailey which is beautiful.

Yugi woke up far earlier than Rafael, taking a few minutes to look at his friend.

Friend. All that they could, all that they would be. Even though Rafael’s arm around his waist felt comforting and warm, and Yugi wanted to just lay there for a while. He wanted to stay there, pretend things were okay, even though being awake was beginning to bring panic.

He couldn’t. They couldn’t. And what Yugi wanted even more, was to have his sons back. To have his nephew back.

So he slowly got up, careful not to wake Rafael and fixing the robe around himself as he walked out of the room.

If his clothes stayed in the room, then no one would panic about him disappearing.

He walked barefoot down the stairs, into the common room where they had sat last night to plan. It wasn’t as empty as he thought it would be. A few magicians wandered around, all sluggish, either slowly waking or beginning to fall asleep after a long night. He didn’t recognize many of them. Chocolate was awake, seeming to be more alert than most.

Sitting next to her at the table was Silent. The magician’s hands were moving quickly, Chocolate nodding and replying with her own gestures. _Sign language._ Yugi realized. He didn’t recognize any of the movements, not that he would. Sign language wasn’t something he caught onto quickly, or even thought of most of the time. _Why, when writing things out works just as well?_

Chocolate noticed him then, motioning for him to come over. Yugi sat down in the chair she pulled up next to her and Silent. “Didn’t think you’d get up just yet. You were one of the last ones to go to your room.”

“I couldn’t sleep anymore.” Yugi admitted. “I’m too worried.”

 _I’ll sleep when Zane, Syrus, and Jaden are safe._ He thought.

Yugi blinked when words appeared in front of him.

_We will get them back._

He looked at Silent, locking eyes with the quiet magician. Once again, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Oh! Chocolate, when we were in Russia, we found a box-“

“Don’t worry Yugi.” Chocolate smiled, getting up and walking over to another table. Yugi sighed in relief to see the box sitting there, unharmed.

“Thank the gods.” He murmured. “Zane and Syrus would be devastated if something happened to it.”

He would make sure they got the box back. Their last link to their mother. Yugi would protect it for them. Chocolate left it on the table but brought something else over.

She set the golden box on the table in front of them. “We found six more pieces by asking around early this morning.”

Yugi looked into the box. Already seeing how each piece fit together. “So now we have twenty. That leaves twenty-two to go.”

Chocolate nodded. “I figured you could visit the Warrior village first. I’m sure Joey will be right at home there.” She smiled. “Then the Fiends. If anyone has any pieces, it would be them for sure.”

“Right.” Yugi smiled softly. He had a few fiends in his deck, it would be nice to visit them. “What other places are there?”

“Well, you know of four places now.” Chocolate began. “Our village here, the Warrior village to the southeast. Just a bit north of there is the Fiends’ Woods. It’s marshland too, so be careful. The mountains to the extreme east of the Woods are where the Beasts and Winged-Beasts make their home. The Harpies are there to help you.”

“What about the Dragons?” Yugi knew Seto would want to rush there. His cousin would want to do everything quickly. Yugi did too, but they had to have a plan. Just rushing in wouldn’t work anymore.

“Their area is to the extreme south.” Chocolate said. “That’s your best bet to get help in getting the boys back. But rushing in without the Puzzle is suicide.”

“We need to find the Key and Eye too.” Yugi pointed out. “So twenty-two pieces, the Key, the Eye, and enough power to take down Yubel and that beast…” He shook his head, touching his shoulder as the mark there warmed up.

He caught Silent’s curious eyes glued to his shoulder. “Gandora bit me.” Yugi explained, moving his robe just enough to reveal some of the curved text on his shoulder. “He said it was a binding mark.”  
  
Her eyes widened as she focused her magic, writing in the air. _The Dragon’s Mark!_

“Is that what it is? I know it’s connected to my dragons, Osiris too.” It always grew warmer around the Sky Dragon and Gandora than it did with the others. “He only told me what some of this scribble means.”

 _Protection, magic, bond, soul, heart, Queen, and Mother._ Silent spelled out, including the scribbled writing with the translations.

“I’m not a mother.” Yugi sighed. “Gandora…”

Chocolate laughed. “Yugi, to be called Mother by the dragons simply means you have control over most of them. I can’t speak for the Blue Eyes though, or Zane’s dragons. But everyone else? They’ll follow you. And listen as if you were a parent.”

“How about we _not_ give me more children? Especially ones from a different species.” Yugi groaned. “I still get paranoid that Zane and Syrus are going to somehow turn into kittens _again_.”

 _They’ve done that?_ Silent asked.

Yugi nodded. “We still aren’t sure how they did it. And no one’s been able to do it since. But we were just sitting around after lunch, in their quiet time before history and magic lessons, and I looked away for two seconds. Zane was practicing with his magic… and suddenly my kids are kits.”

It had been a mad scramble to try and reverse it. The boys were fine through it all. Syrus enjoyed being a kitten, Yugi didn’t enjoy keeping him from crawling underneath anything. Zane was happy to just sleep through it all.

“They’re going to cause a heart attack someday.” Yugi shook his head, smiling softly. “But… I wouldn’t trade them, or anything that’s happened since I found them- up until now- for the world.”

 _They’re lucky, to have such a wonderful father now, after everything that happened with their first..._ Silent’s spelling seemed to grow slower as she wrote it, as if she was realizing something.

Yugi looked from the words to the magician. “Silent… how do you know what they’ve been through?”

 

* * *

 

“I just need to focus. Then I can get us help.”

Syrus looked sadly at his brother. Zane had been trying to control the new magic that had broken the seal that was on him. All night, Zane had been trying to break the same seal on Syrus and Jaden, with no luck.

It only served to make whoever came to bring their food in next mad when the creature realized what Zane was doing.

A cut on Zane’s cheek was the physical proof of the displeasure. But Zane hardly noticed it, even as Magi and Syrus tried to get him to sit still to at least clean it off.

 _Alright, that’s enough._ Timaeus rumbled as Zane ducked away from Magi again. With a heavy paw, the dragon pinned Zane down, cleaning the cut with a few licks as Zane sputtered and fought against him. _You’ll be useless to everyone if that cut gets infected._

“Pretty sure dragon spit can infect it to!”

Syrus sighed, turning over in the blanket nest. They moved it overnight, closer to Timaeus’s sleeping place. Syrus was still exhausted, and he could tell Jaden was too.

“I’m sorry.” Jaden whispered. “This is all my fault.”

“It’s not.” Syrus shook his head. “You didn’t know Yubel would do this.”

“I still feel responsible. They are… they were my friend, my guardian. I don’t know why they’re doing this.”

Jaden looked miserable, and Syrus hated seeing his cousin like that. He moved closer, curling up against Jaden’s side. They both looked over as Zane yelped, seeing him finally free of Timaeus as the dragon looked at him with amusement. Magi was helping Zane up as the younger tried to clean off his face with his shirt.

“Yubel said that dad took you from them.” Syrus said.

“How? Yubel’s the one who disappeared!” Jaden protested. “After I won that contest, Yubel disappeared! And they aren’t the first one to.” He admitted softly.

Syrus tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Jaden sighed. “I mean… anyone who tried to get close to me before. They would go to sleep and they wouldn’t wake up. They weren’t dead though, I think they were in a coma or something. It happened twice before I was…”

 _Abandoned._ Syrus filled in the blank, nodding for Jaden to continue.

“And after, it happened four more times before I won the contest that papa and Pegasus were doing. It didn’t happen at all after that so… I-I think it was Yubel causing them to go into comas.”

Syrus frowned. That did make sense. Which meant that Yubel was very dangerous, to everyone but Jaden it seemed.

He was thinking of how to reply when the door outside of the cage slammed open. Syrus flinched, terror overtaking him again. He shut his eyes, curling closer to Jaden. He didn’t want to see who- what- it was. The growling he heard was enough to leave him trembling.

“So Magi? Will you cooperate now?” The beast asked. It’s narrowed eyes were staring at the magician.

Magi took a deep breath, drawing himself up to stand proudly. He looked like a strong magician, Syrus thought as he opened one eye to look at him.

He had stood like that before. Facing against a man drenched in shadows. Syrus knew the shadowed man was their father, and Magi had protected them before their mother started the fire.

“I am bound to silence.” Magi said. “My oath as a magician protects those who I deem family.”

The beast gave a toothy grin, sinister with pointed teeth that seemed to be set at odd, jagged angles. “Is that really your final answer?”

“I am bound to silence.” Magi repeated.

The sound from the beast was almost a laugh, but it was full of malice and hate, making Syrus cover his ears. Zane backed towards him slowly as Jaden helped Syrus sit up, tugging his cousin closer. Timaeus covered the three of them with a wing, growling at the beast’s laughter.

 _You heard Magi. Get out._ Timaeus snarled, baring his teeth and reminding Syrus of a protective dog.

“So then, you would deny those brats the news?” The beast questioned.

Magi seemed to hesitate at that. “If you mean that their fathers are searching for them, and _will_ find them, I assure you they already know.” He said confidently. “The Pharaoh will be here, and mercy shall not be granted. Like your master before Yubel, they will fall.”

“Oh no Magi. Haven’t we taught you about that lying?”

A whip materialized before anyone could move, the long weapon slicing against Magi’s chest. The magician stumbled back, Timaeus steadying him with his head.

“The _pharaoh_ can try as he wishes. Yubel is ten times the ruler Zorc ever was. But he wasn’t who I was speaking of.” The beast twisted the whip in his hands, eyes traveling over to Jaden, Syrus, and Zane.

“I wonder if they would agree to staying here with you… if they knew your secret.”

Magi glared. “I have no secrets that would harm my little masters.”

“You still lie?” Another crack of the whip, hitting Magi’s chest again. “Well, then I will be the one to tell them.”

“Like we’d ever believe you.” Zane muttered.

“You may change your mind on that…. When I tell you the location of your mother.”

 

* * *

 

Planning where to head first was easy once everyone was awake. But the waiting had Yugi pacing. They still had two days set for giving everyone a chance to heal, he didn’t want to wait.

_What if Yubel won’t wait? What if they’re hurting the boys now? We should go!_

One look at Joey had Yugi settling down with his thoughts. His friend looked miserable, and in pain. Apple and Mana were helping to rebandage his shoulder, Joey looked as if he didn’t sleep at all during the night.

Mana was bandaged up herself, a rare sight to all Spirits. Healing usually took no time at all. But the dark magic, _black magic,_ Yugi reminded himself, left everyone healing slowly.

Whatever Yubel was using was dark magic, but a different branch from the Shadow magic. _It might be more accurate to call it eclipse magic… if the prophecy about Gods’ Shadows meant the Sacred Beasts._ Everyone needed to rest.

And the dragons… Yugi finally got a good look at everyone in the morning. Most of the ones gathered in the small village seemed okay. Noah and the other Alternates just had a few scrapes, Noah having a bump on his head from hitting the ground too hard. Kisara and her brother and sister were more upset than hurt. He noticed one of her claws had broken in the fight though.

It was Red that worried everyone. The dragon contributed to Joey’s sleepless night. There was no way he could help them, not with his neck still healing. It was near impossible to kill a Spirit, but Armityle had come close. The Red Eyes Black Dragon had a jagged ring of teeth marks around his neck. Kisara hadn’t left his side all night.

Gandora, X, and the newly found Giga were completely unscathed. Truthfully, it was a bit unsettling.

Yugi was never afraid of his dragons. Since the first time he saw Gandora’s card, Atem had warned him how much power he felt in it, and made Yugi promise to not use him in normal duels. There was no stopping Yugi from putting him into his own deck however. It was like something was calling out to him, telling him to have Gandora in his deck. The incomplete Level deck, focusing on his Silent cards and magnet warriors. He saw so many possibilities with Gandora.

But even Atem had been wary. There was absolutely no records of the three anywhere. They were old dragons.

Yet, Silent had no problem approaching Gandora, petting him and making sure he was healing. Even X didn’t seem too worried about her. Giga kept his distance from everyone.

 _Just who is she?_ Yugi wondered. His question from before had gone unanswered as the others joined them in the room for breakfast.

“Yubel was the demon that attacked Ryou before.” Bakura said, joining Yugi outside and watching Silent as well. “Back when I first returned.”

“They didn’t seem scared of you.” Yugi pointed out.

“I caught them by surprise before. I think that demon was expecting one of the gods to show up at that fight.” Bakura shook his head.

They had expected one of the gods. _Just what is Yubel planning though? If they only wanted Jaden back and to hurt me because they think I stole Jaden away in the future… they wouldn’t do all of this._ There had to be more to it.

And he didn’t think they had the time to wait and gather up the last of the Puzzle.

It had only been a day, but it was already one day too many that Yubel had the children. They had no idea what Yubel was doing to them. Yugi knew how much power Yubel had, or was going to have, while being restrained by Jaden’s bond to them. But without that bond? Who knew how much wild Shadow Magic Yubel had. It had to be a lot, possibly even more than Atem ever had, to be able to keep Armityle at ten thousand attack points. None of their monsters could touch it like that, though many tried.

 _We could though, if we rescue Timaeus._ The infinite loop they used against Dartz, that would be more than enough. Critias and Hermos were inside, speaking with Seto and Joey. _That’s another thing. Why hold Timaeus hostage? Critias said he was in his dragon form, he can’t do much without something to fuse with._ As intimidating as the three warriors seemed as dragons, most of their power was locked, only being accessed if fused with the right card. Alone, Timaeus was no threat. And even the three together wouldn’t stand a chance without backup.

Yugi felt restless. The tiredness of last night long gone. He knew Seto and Joey were planning with Rafael on how to go about getting the rest of the puzzle, but it would take even longer, on top of the two more days they were supposed to be resting.

“If you’re going to do something stupid, I’m bringing Ryou’s body with you.” Bakura murmured next to him. “Because if you go and get yourself killed, I’ll never hear the end of it. From that pharaoh or from the gods.”

Yugi gave him a small nod. “Tonight. I have to speak to Mahaad and Mana, Gandora too.”

Bakura sighed. “Necrofear is ready to go whenever. So make your talks quick, we’re leaving before the moons are at their highest point.” Time was different in the Spirit Realm. There was no true sense of it, other than it moving forward or backwards. It was hard to track with a watch, and easier to go by the sun and moon placements.

“We’ll be ready.”

 _We have to be. I_ have _to find my sons and nephew._ Yugi looked over to Gandora, getting a small nod from the dragon. He knew what Yugi was planning without him even saying it. He knew he had his friend’s support.

 

* * *

 

“What did that creature mean? Our mother’s dead!”

Zane’s head was reeling. Their mother’s location? She was dead! He knew she was, so why would Magi know her location then? “Did he mean her body?”

He watched as Magi paced, feeling Syrus press closer to his side. Jaden was on Syrus’s other side, with Timaeus back in his spot at the back of the cage. The magician was hiding something. He mumbled under his breath, it seemed as if he was trying to collect his thoughts.

There was something more going on. Zane knew that.

“Your mother…” Magi sighed, almost defeatedly. “Yes. Your father killed her. However… as the Pharaoh, your dad, has probably taught you… Each and every living thing has a soul, a spirit.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed in thought before widening. “Y-You don’t mean that she…”

“It isn’t unheard of. Kisara, the Blue Eyes White Dragon, she was once human. But her spirit was that of a white dragon, forced out when she was killed. And Timaeus here, was human as well.” Magi looked back at the great dragon. “His spirit was that of a warrior and a dragon.”

“Your mother’s spirit is alive. But that created lied, Zane.” Magi finally looked over at them, pain and sorrow in his eyes. “I do not know where she is. We were separated, I was captured, and she ran. I told her to run.”

“And when you were going to tell us?” Zane felt a stab of betrayal before batting it down. He didn’t know Magi, and Magi barely knew them anymore. What was there to betray?

“When we were all safe.” Magi answered. “When I could tell you and help you search for her, if you wished to.”

At his side, Syrus gripped Zane’s shirt tightly. There was a chance, there was still a chance, that they could meet their mother. Zane could see her again, Syrus could actually meet her. He felt dizzy, and sick.

They could meet her, but why hadn’t she come looking for them? If she was in the Spirit Realm, she could’ve visited with Mahaad or Mana or anyone else! If she even wanted them anymore…

“No.” Zane shook his head. “If she wanted to see us, she would’ve come to find us. You were kidnapped, you _couldn’t_ , she doesn’t have that excuse.”

He didn’t care if she was there, if she was alive. Why hadn’t she come to see them? To explain what happened? To… save them, before things got as bad as they did? Zane didn’t need her. Yugi would come save them, they would be safe with their dad.

His magic twisted out. Until Yugi could come, Zane would work on getting them out himself.

 

* * *

 

Night seemed to take forever to finally fall, then it was just a game of getting the others to not suspect anything. Joey was easy, his arm had been sore all day, leading him to turn in early after some help from magic to block some of the pain and soreness.

Seto was a bit harder to distract. With Joey asleep and feeling alright, not much would catch his attention fully. Until Noah began limping around, complaining about his paw hurting. It was enough of a distraction for Yugi and Bakura to get past him easily.

They had talked to Mahaad earlier in the day, a few others would be joining them in leaving early, though the Dark Magician was joining under protest. Mana was more than happy to come along, with her sisters promising that they would join if they were needed, all Yugi would need to do is summon them.

Gandora, X, and Giga were currently in their cards, making the escape easier. Necrofear’s ability darkening the village helped things too.

But Rafael made things more complicated. Sharing a room with him made sneaking out even harder for Yugi. Until his faithful Silent Magician jumped in to save them, asking question after question and keeping Rafael’s attention on her.

 _I’m sorry. But we don’t have time to wait! I promised I would protect Zane, Syrus, and Jaden._ Outside, it was raining lightly. Yugi was surprised, but grateful that the clouds covered up the moons. Less light for them, but also less light for everyone else. _Gandora, help me please._

The bond hummed to life as Yugi’s eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. Gandora’s sight was more like a cat’s, made for darker times and places.

Getting out was easy. Yugi sighed in relief as they headed towards the edge of the village. “Where are we going to look first?” He asked, looking at Bakura from under the cloak he borrowed to escape the rain in.

“We’re heading straight for the Dragon’s Grounds.” Bakura said. “Sure you can handle this without the Puzzle?”

Yugi left what they had of the puzzle behind. _If Seto tries, he can solve it without his tech._ Dragon’s Peak was the end for both groups, they would meet up there, hopefully with all the pieces.

“Wait, someone’s here.” Mahaad whispered, stopping Yugi from walking ahead.

Warily, Yugi looked around. They couldn’t turn back. Whoever it was, he was ready to duel to still be able to leave.

 _It’s just me._ The cursive writing appeared in the air in front of Mahaad, making him relax as Silent walked out of the shadows, a cloak draped over her shoulders. It was dark in color, mostly from the rain, and made her white robes stick out more than usual until she pulled the cloak tighter around herself. _I’m coming with you._

“Silent…” Mahaad murmured.

 _No. I have to do this._ She shook her head. “I… have to.”

Yugi blinked in surprise, and even Bakura couldn’t hide his mild shock as his eyes widened. “You mean this one can talk?” The spirit questioned.

“Why?” Yugi asked. “You never answered my first question from before either.” He needed to know who she was to his sons. Had she been the magician mentioned in their mother’s letters?

Silent hesitated. _I cannot answer that here, now. But I will, once we are in a safer place._

“It is safe here Silent.” Mana said gently, walking over to her friend. “Yugi’s the Pharaoh now, what could be safer?”

 _I know. But,_ she hesitated even more, the words slowly disappearing as she did, _tomorrow. I will answer everything tomorrow._

It seemed like a sincere answer and offer, but Yugi still felt unsure. _Answering tomorrow means she will have to come with us._ He thought. Could they really bring her along though? It was going to be dangerous, Yugi wanted as few people- spirits- involved as possible.

“Let her come. It’s her funeral if she can’t keep up.” Bakura huffed. “We don’t have time to stand around.” He looked back, seeing more lights on in the building they came from. “Actually, our time’s up. We need to leave now!”

“Alright! You’ll come with us.” Yugi decided. “But you _will_ answer everything!”

With that decided, they hurried off, heading South. _Chocolate said rushing in was suicide without the Puzzle… but we can’t wait that long!_ Yugi had faith in his deck, his friends. He felt terrible for leaving the others like he was. _It’s best we split up though. I left Joey that note. If they get the Puzzle pieces, and maybe the Eye and Key too, we’ll be fine!_

Determination made Yugi hurry quicker after Mahaad and Bakura, the past few years of training giving him more than enough energy to keep up with them. _Hold on boys. We’re coming to get you back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO IT’S THE END OF PART 2. PART 3 IS COMING UP NEXT! And it’s a lot smaller like wow it’s only about 3 chapters.
> 
> Zane and Syrus’s mysterious mother! I’m sure everyone can guess who it is. I haven’t been too secretive with it probably. 
> 
> We’re actually coming close to the end. Not like 1-2 chapters close. More like 7-8… maybe more. But there is at least one funny bit still left between all of this heavy stuff.
> 
> And foreshadowing! For the sequel! I actually set up something in this chapter that you won’t get full answers to until Next Generation of Shadowed Light comes out! (And look! I even named it!)


	25. Holding Hands While The Walls Come Tumbling Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’M SORRY I KNOW I’M INSANELY LATE I HIT A FUCKING BLOCK FROM HELL AND SCHOOL STARTED AND ANXIETY KICKED INTO HIGH GEAR WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK IS MY LIFE RIGHT NOW  
> But I don’t want you guys to wait anymore. This chapter is done, I can just make the next chapter soon, it’ll be a sorta shorter one that just kinda ties up the last part there I just wanted to get this out as quick as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one thing to say about Duel Links Zane…
> 
> KEEP MAKING CYBER END DRAGON’S SPIRIT SCREAM FOR MERCY AND I’LL KEEP MAKING YOU LOSE TO LEVEL 10 MOKUBA.
> 
> Zane is a problem. He needs help. Yugi needs to ground this child til he’s 30 or something. He threatened to murder Syrus CAN SOMEONE JUST KICK HIM IN THE BALLS. Kick Aster too, he started all this shit. There’s a reason why I call him Ass-ter. He’s problematic, and NOT a fave.
> 
> I love Zane, but not Duel Links Zane. Duel Links Zane is why First Burn is being used in the Sequel and sung at him by Atticus. (Not really there’s no singing but Atticus being a slut for musicals is a headcanon I can support 100%)
> 
> ANYWAY WELCOME TO CHAPTER 25 CHILDREN ARE YOU READY FOR ANGST BECAUSE SOMEONE’S GETTING HURT. MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT. Not Joey though. Joey’s hurt enough. I actually feel bad for hurting Joey. But it was needed to show everyone that things are actually serious and not just World Wide Scavenger Hunt.
> 
> Music for this chapter is pretty much any Warrior Cats AMV from 2008-2015. Yes, I'm serious.

Zane wasn’t sure how to react. Everything happened so fast, there was little time to react.

Three days, they had been held prisoner for three days. The first day they had met Magi and Timaeus, Zane had broken the block on his magic and found more magic that he couldn’t control. The second day, Magi had told him of his mother.

The third day…

They tried to kill his brother.

One second, Hamon was there, claw tugging Syrus up by his shirt collar as the room expanded to hold the beast. Syrus was screaming, crying, scared out of his mind. Timaeus was knocked unconscious by Hamon, Magi powerless to do much more than beg, plead for Hamon to drop Syrus and take him instead.

Jaden was begging Yubel to let him go, the creature watching with a crazed look in their eyes and Jaden’s pleas falling on deaf ears.

The next second came in a flash of red. In a terrifying moment that lasted no more than a second, but felt far longer to Zane, he thought that Hamon had killed Syrus. But as the red light died down, Zane could hear his own voice screaming, a roar drowning him out as a flash of red tinted silver sliced through Hamon’s claw as if it were no stronger than a blade of grass, sending the beast reeling back and dropping Syrus to the floor.

Zane moved quickly, covering his brother and looking up at the monster his magic had summoned.

It was a Cyber Dragon, the aura connecting it to him told him as much. But it didn’t look like Cyber, Silver, or Chrome. This dragon was larger, with a winding tail ending in a split of spikes. A massive pair of wings rest on its back, stretching out wide in a protective stance as the spines on its back quivered in warning. Its head was as sharp as its feathers, beak tapering off to a point that looked deadly enough to pierce through any material.

And it’s core, blazing orange and bright like the sun, wires and tubes connecting it to the armored plates that made the dragon’s scales. Energy flowed through its veins, glowing like magma.

The dragon was a supernova waiting to happen. The dragon _was_ Nova, his magic supplied the name. Cyber Dragon Nova, Zane saw flashes of Chrome and Cyber in it’s core. _A fusion card?_ He didn’t voice the question.

There was no way Nova was a fusion monster. Zane could still feel Chrome and Cyber as if they were separated, with End, Twin, even Overdragon, Zane couldn’t feel them individually. Nova was a different type of monster.

And with a swing of it’s speared tail, it proved to be a far stronger one as well.

Jaden joined Zane in protecting Syrus as Nova slammed it’s tail into Yubel, the tip leaving a large gash on their face and knocking them sideways. Nova curled protectively around the three children, Zane expected its core to be blinding them.

Instead, it was just warm. He could look at it as if it was just a picture on a card.

In the reflection on the metal around the core, he saw his eyes reflecting the same color for a moment. The deep blue-gray turned a darker orange for a mere heartbeat before Nova was disappearing.

Yubel stood furiously in front of them, Hamon nowhere to be found.

“Yubel’s ability…” Jaden whispered. “T-they’re gonna hurt Zane!”

 _But Nova has an ability too!_ The information flew through his mind, though Zane had never seen it before, it felt as if he had always known it. “Cyber Twin Dragon!” _We have a chance! We can escape!_

“ _Enough_!”

Cyber Twin Dragon had no chance to appear as Yubel’s magic lashed out, stopping everything and ramming into the three boys. Zane hugged Syrus close, protecting his brother from the fall as Jaden landed safely against Timaeus.

He heard Syrus whimper and pulled him closer, glaring at Yubel. “You can’t keep us here!”

“I can do what I want!” Yubel glared back. “None of you will leave here alive after this! You will pay for what you’ve done!”

They stormed out, and the room seemed to shrink down again, only smaller now. There was still room for Timaeus to stand and stretch, but not much room. The dragon was still unconscious.

Magi limped over as Syrus’s cries became more audible, the youngest sobbing and shaking in Zane’s arms. Zane moved around just enough to remove his brother’s glasses, frowning when he saw the broken lenses. The frames were cracked too, Zane tugged Syrus up to make sure there weren’t any cuts on his face.

There were no cuts, but Syrus’s eyes were wide with fear as he cried, clinging to Zane with one hand. The other hand… Zane looked down with horror. Syrus couldn’t move it, his hand bent at an awkward angle.

“Zane, let me see.” Magi said gently, voice warm as he crouched down next to the brothers. “Oh dear… I think his wrist is broken.” He whispered as Zane turned Syrus just enough for Magi to look at it.

Syrus cried harder when Magi touched his wrist, the pain firing up. Zane winced, feeling it over the connection he had through their magic. “I know sweetheart, I know.” Magi soothed.

There was the sound of fabric being torn, and metal being broken. “A good magician never gives away all their tricks.” Magi offered as explanation as he moved Syrus’s wrist carefully. “It’s alright, it’s alright.” He murmured, not stopping even as Syrus screamed. “I know. But we must set it.”

The sound woke Timaeus, who was sluggish as he lifted his head, the magic trying to pull him back into unconsciousness. He moved enough to cover Jaden with his wing as the other child cried, not liking the sound of his cousin in so much pain.

Magi had Syrus’s wrist wrapped in no time, soothing him with gentle words and letting him snuggle close to Zane. “Don’t move it so much.” Magi warned. “It needs to heal.” He helped Syrus to get comfortable before looking over Zane.

“How did you do that?! By the gods- summoning like that- what _was_ that?!” Magi questioned, making sure Zane wasn’t hurt.

He could feel some blood welling up on his arm from hitting the ground, and he felt a bit lightheaded from using so much magic. But neither felt bad, not with the adrenaline still running through him. “I don’t know. It said it’s name was Cyber Dragon Nova.”

“I’ve never heard of one like that. I knew of the three, and their fusions, but Nova? No Cyber Dragon has ever existed by that name.” Magi shook his head.

 _A new dragon…_ Zane hissed as Magi placed a damp cloth on the cut on his arm. “I don’t even remember summoning it.”

Had he summoned it? Or had Syrus? Zane looked at his brother, who was calming down as Timaeus groomed his hair with gentle licks. It seemed to soothe Syrus better than anything else they could’ve tried, and it distracted him from Zane being injured. _His wrist is broke… even if we could get our cards back, Syrus couldn’t use his._

“Why is Yubel doing this?” Jaden’s small voice sounded miserable. “This isn’t how they used to act…”

“Face it Jaden, Yubel isn’t who you thought they were.” Zane sighed. And now, it felt like they were running out of time.

_We have to get out of here. Before Yubel decides we aren’t useful anymore._

 

* * *

 

Seto was silently seething as he glared at the six Magician Girls in the room. “ _What_ , pray tell, made you think letting them run off with the mute magician and the _thief_ was a good idea, _Mana_?” His eyes were locked on the blonde as he spoke. “What part of that made sense? By the gods, of all the _idiocy_ I’ve put up with- in _TWO LIVES,_ nonetheless- this tops it all!”

Having the thief run off had been expected. Seto was certain it would happen at some point, not trusting Bakura to stay with them at all. And that mute Silent Magician was an unpredictable factor. But Yugi and Mahaad? _Especially_ Mahaad?

He thought Mahaad to be the voice of reason for Atem and Mana, not the enabler for Yugi.

Mana held her head high, even as her sisters looked more than a little ashamed and fearful of the priest in front of them. Unlike Mahaad, she was not just a spirit with the memories of her past, she _was_ Mana, choosing to let go of her afterlife to stay where she was needed. “Yugi knows what he’s doing.” She answered Seto.

“As does Mahaad. He wouldn’t have gone with if they didn’t.” Mana added, glaring back at Seto. “Yugi’s right. Everyone is hurt and we need time to heal, which is something that has _never_ happened in this realm before. You know what that means, Priest Set. Things are changing, and we can’t just sit around and wait to heal. Yugi, Bakura, and Mahaad were the least injured out of all of us. And Silent hadn’t been in that battle.

“If they can get a head start in gathering the Puzzle pieces, then that makes things easier for everyone.”

The room was still a make-shift healer’s room. Red was curled up in one corner on a bed of soft hay, Kisara cleaning the wounds on his neck to keep infection away. Another thing new to their realm. Never before had Spirits suffered injuries like that, or had the risk of infection. Never had they _bled_ like they were now. Not even against Zorc. Some had disappeared from that war, but never had they suffered injuries like they were against Yubel and Armityle.

Even Mana still had bandages on her arm, the sting of a healing burn reminding her of just what went on. She was able to shrug it off, like Kisara was. Both used to the feeling of injuries that were so _human_ to feel. The Blue Eyes was missing a few scales from her shoulder, the ridge of it tinted pink with exposed skin. New ones could grow, Blue Eyes dragons could shed like snakes, but it would take time. Time that they didn’t have.

“I know you’re worried about Joey.” Mana said. “And I know you’re worried about Jaden too.”

“You know _nothing_.” Seto snarled.

“Who do you think helped Yugi?” She snapped back. “We were there from day one with Zane and Syrus, we’re all scared half to death! We don’t _have_ any more time, Seto. I know you brought some of your tech with you. So if you have anything that can trace Atem’s magic- don’t _lie_ I know you do- then you’d better get it working to find those pieces!”  
  
Mana glared at him. “Magic works differently here. And after being trapped in the Puzzle for five thousand years, his magic is _still_ in it. You can track it, so do it!”

Seto stormed off after that, slamming the door to the large room as he walked out, Azure and Sapphire rumbling as they followed him.

Mana sighed in frustration. “I should’ve gone with them.” She muttered.

“The less people they have with them, the better.” Noah commented, lifting his head from the bed of hay he was laying on. They hadn’t been quick enough to treat a nasty wound on his arm. Infection set in the day before, leaving his eyes dull with pain and fever. Even as Rafael put as much medicine as he could on the wound before wrapping it again.

He would be fine, recovery would just take longer, and be even more painful.

“They’re in danger, goin’ out like that.” Joey pointed out, torn between wanting to go with his best friend, or stay with his husband. “’Specially since he took _Bakura_.” He still didn’t trust the spirit of the Ring.

“He’s with Bakura, but he is also with Ryou.” Rafael pointed out.

“What about you?” Joey looked at him. “You and Yug’ have been look pretty cozy after all.” He kept all accusation out of his tone, though the air was thick with it after the words left his mouth.

Rafael finished wrapping Noah’s arm before responding. “The Pharaoh and I are friends. Nothing more. And I trust his judgement.” He said, standing up. “We should focus on finding the pieces in the opposite direction of where he went. We’ll meet up again, and it will be easier if we have the complete Puzzle by then.”

Joey sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I’d rather we have the kids with us again. I mean, I get that the Puzzle has power, and I guess the goal here is to bring Atem back. But… I want Jay back more.”

“We’ll get all three of them back. They won’t be with that creature for long. No parent would admit it.”

Kiwi flinched at that, Chocolate and Berry both elbowing her. “No! We can’t keep it from them! I know about the Secrecy spell but dammit this is important enough to break it!”

Joey looked confused. “What brought that on? And what secrecy spell?”

“There’s… something you need to know. About Zane and Syrus.” Apple said quietly. “Kiwi’s right. Now isn’t the time for silence.” She looked up at Joey and Rafael. “We know who their mother is.”

 

* * *

 

It was cooler the closer they got to the Dragon’s territory. He wasn’t sure what to expect. So many dragons had different elements, he supposed the cooler temperature was the middle ground of all of them.

Yugi sighed, sitting back against the tree in the clearing where Bakura had made them stop. Ryou had an injury on his side, one that didn’t bother the Spirit, but he knew Ryou’s body couldn’t take too much damage to it.

They had gotten pretty far from the spellcaster’s village. Mahaad estimated they were quite a few miles away, but with so many more miles to go…

He pulled out Gandora’s card, touching the mark on his shoulder. Yugi gasped as another card fell out of his hand, having accidentally grabbed it with Gandora. He picked it up, tears pricking at his eyes as he looked at it.

 _Transformation_. The card he shared with his sons. He had seen both of them use the card before, and assumed it took an armor shape of a spirit they were close to. Zane’s looing like Cyber, Syrus looking more like Silver.

His own armor looked like Gandora, and felt more powerful than just a simple card.

“You miss them.” The soft voice startled him as Silent sat down across from him, her hands resting on her lap. The position looked so familiar to him…

Like how he would sit, how he taught Zane and Syrus to sit, at the small shrine for his grandmother, and their mother too.

“Of course I do. I may not be their father by birth, but they are still my sons.” Yugi put the two cards away. “I promised I would love and protect them like any father should. But Armityle was still able to…”

Silent nodded. “I should have been there.” Her voice, still soft from disuse, was filled with regret.

Yugi looked at her, studying the Spirit. “Silent, how did you get here? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t.” Silent reassured him. “I didn’t remember how at first. All I knew was that I had a sister, sisters really. And brothers… and they were telling me all of this and then… I met him. Cybernetic. He knew me, and I stayed with him. But… That shadow beast took him. He told me to run, and I found Mahaad soon after.”

“I found more though. I found my memories… and chose to vow myself to silence. For protection.”

 _That’s odd._ How would silence protect her? Yugi had no clue. Unless her memoires would get her in trouble. “Why did you? Would your memories cause trouble?”

Silent hesitated. “Of a sort.” She replied cautiously, tightening her fists on her lap.

She looked hesitant to continue, eyes focused on her hands and shoulders quivering just the slightest bit. Yugi couldn’t help but think of Syrus, after he had done something he knew would get him in trouble and Yugi gave him a chance to admit to it so they could talk out why Syrus wasn’t allowed to do whatever he had done.

Silent reminded him a lot of Syrus, really.

“Are you two done with the chat? We should get going soon.” Bakura interrupted. “We have to save the brats!”

“They aren’t brats!” Yugi and Silent snapped at him, Yugi mildly surprised when Silent had said that.

“What’s it to you, Spirit?” Bakura huffed. “They don’t have you in their deck, you aren’t even in Yugi’s. It’s your sister that is. Why are you even caring about the scraps?”

“Because I wasn’t there when they needed me!” Silent’s voice was hardly more than a whisper, but it was forceful.

“And what does that mean? Are you the magician mentioned in that letter?”

“I _wrote_ that letter! To my sons!”

Everything seemed to go still with the admission. Yugi paused in his own retort, eyes widening.

That was why she reminded him so heavily of his sons. Why she was so adamant about coming with to save them. Silent was their mother.

She sighed, closing her eyes. “I… I’m their mother.” She whispered “Zane and Syrus are my sons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had this plot twist planned since day 1. (Really, since I rewatched GX because out of the ENTIRE GX crew, tell me who has the Protagonist Hair. Because it’s not Jaden) I just had to figure out who would be their mother, and Silent Magician was perfect. 
> 
> I warned you we weren’t going to just stick to cards from DM/GX. Cyber Dragon Nova! The weaker of the two XYZ Cyber Dragons. 
> 
> Little spoiler: ALL the Cyber Dragons will be appearing in this series. Some have a small role. Some get to thwack the main villain in the face with their tail.
> 
> That was just a little power show however. To really set it in with everyone that there’s more power than just fusion monsters. As you read, Yubel’s still strong on their own.
> 
> HOWEVER, even though Nova has appeared and is the first XYZs monster to show up, NO MONSTER PAST SYNCHRO WILL BE USED IN ACTUAL DUELS. And Synchro will not be used until the sequel to this. There is a reason for me including Synchro, and that reason is the game Tag Force 3, which is set in Season 4 of GX, but introduces Synchro monsters to that series. They won’t be playing a huge part, however. The monsters past that (XYZ, Link, and most Synchros) will appear in spirit form, sometimes as protection, as Nova has here.


End file.
